


It Began Long Ago

by greeneggs101



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Character wise if they were in the hobbit movies they will probably end up in this fic, Family, M/M, Once Upon a Time inspired, Romance, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-04-03 05:46:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4089211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneggs101/pseuds/greeneggs101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>True Love, Evil Spells, and Archenemies are as much as part of the world as the characters in the fantasy novel Bilbo writes in his spare time. With a nephew to take care of and bills to pay, Bilbo no longer has time for fantasy or other unreasonable things like adventure and love. However, all three manage to find Bilbo and Frodo as they are whisked off to another part of the county, and begin life anew in a town with many characters that seem so, so familiar. </p>
<p>And True Love? True Love always just needed a little faith to work miracles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As stated in the tags, this is sort of a Once Upon a Time inspired AU. For those who haven't seen the ABC show, I highly suggest checking it out. In this story, like the show, the characters will have name changes, but I've tried to keep their description as well as their personalities, true to canon. 
> 
> This is the first chaptered fic I've written in a long while, but the plot line was much to much to get out all in one go. I have four chapters written so far, and I'm hoping posting this will encourage me to write more.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy. Reviews are always welcome

There were few things Bilbo hated more than his evening commute. It seemed like every idiotic driver this side of the Mississippi decided that now was the best time to take their over priced cars out for a spin. And that was not including the people just trying to get home from work, like Bilbo.

He looked down at the time and groaned. 6:47. At this rate, he and Frodo may as well have take out for dinner, again. He had been trying to get Frodo on some kind of normal schedule since the death of his parents. The 11-year-old had started living with Bilbo just the past January, but hasn’t really settled into his new surroundings and it was now mid-June. Bilbo did not expect Frodo to like living in a large suburb. Heck, Bilbo did not really like living within a (non-traffic filled) hour of the large metropolis. But he had hoped Frodo would have at least started to make friends at his new school. No such luck. If anything, Frodo was now more reserved and shy than ever. 

A car slid over into Bilbo’s lane without warning, causing Bilbo’s heart rate to spike and a slew of profanities to leave his lips. He slammed on the brakes, taking several deep breaths, knowing that no matter how irritated he was, getting angry behind the wheel would help no one. Frodo would be so disappointed if he lost his temper in the car. It had been a case of deadly road rage that had lost him his parents after all. 

As the clock hit 7 and Bilbo was no closer to home than he was a half hour earlier, he took out his cellphone and turned on the speaker, keeping the device far away from his hands, but close enough to hear the ring of the other end of the line. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, Frodo,” Bilbo spoke clearly but softly. “Don’t think I’m gonna make it home in time to cook dinner. What would you like me to bring home?”

There was no verbal answer but a soft static over the phone indicated a shrug of shoulders. 

“It’s ok, my lad...What about that Chinese place? You liked their food right?”

“Can I have the fried rice?” Frodo mumbled. 

“One large fried rice, coming up,” Bilbo grinned, trying to project his enthusiasm that Frodo asked for something. 

Shortly after he hung up, traffic seemed to melt and the speedometer on Bilbo’s tiny car finally began to climb to 30, then 40 miles per hour. He stopped at a gas station to fill up and place his order. 

Finally making it to his small apartment around 7:40 he dropped off his bag on the couch and began to open the take out containers. Frodo retrieved the plates from the cupboard.

“So how was your day with Aunt Lizzy?”

Another shrug. “She fell asleep shortly after you left. I just read my book and colored.”

Bilbo sighed but tried to put on a smile anyway. Their neighbor, “Aunt” Lizzy meant well, but when it came to actually looking after his young charge while he was at work, the woman tended to fall short. But she offered to look after Frodo for free during the summer.

“How’s your book coming?” Frodo asked around a mouthful of rice. 

Bilbo’s smile faltered. “It’s coming... I try to work on it when I can but--”

A knock at the door interrupted him. Bilbo glanced at the clock, nearly a quarter after 8 in the evening. Who could be at the door at this hour?

Bilbo made his way to the door, motioning to Frodo to stay where he was. Standing on tiptoe, he tried to see who their visitor was through the peephole.

A single grey eye stared back. Bilbo jumped back in shock but opened the door anyway.

A tall man in a grey suit, grey scarf and, most bizarrely, a grey tricorn hat, was just leaning back from where he was trying to peer inside from the other side of the peephole. The man’s gray hair was long but well groomed, falling nearly to the man’s elbows. 

They stared at each other for a moment or two before finally Bilbo broke the awkward silence. “Good evening.”

“What do you mean? Do you wish me a good evening?” The man asked. “Or mean that it is a good evening whether I want it or not? Or that you are feeling particularly good on this evening; or that is an evening to be good on?” 

“...all of them at once I suppose,” Bilbo replied, his brow furrowed. “And a good one to spend with family at dinner, which I should be getting back to so.... good evening.”

Bilbo made to close the door, but a gruff laugh stopped him. “Is that how you now greet a friend of your mother’s?”

“Excuse me?” Bilbo asked. “Do I know you?” He kept his hand on the door, ready to slam it shut. 

“Well I hope you’ve at least heard of me. I’m Gandalf Grane.”

Finally the man’s name and very unique style of dress awoke a far off memory of Bilbo’s mother telling her son the story involving an old man dressed in grey, the man’s beard, and some fireworks.

“Didn’t you steal some fireworks and then nearly burned your beard off trying to light them?” Bilbo asked, his voice becoming more confident as the man’s smile grew. 

The man chuckled. “Of all the stories for her to tell, it had to be that one.”

Bilbo just shook his head. “I’m sorry, can I help you?”

“That remains to be seen.” Gandalf seemed to stare at him more intently. “I’m looking for someone prepared for an adventure.” 

Bilbo blinked. And blinked again. But the man, Gandalf, was still there waiting for an answer. “An...An adventure.” Bilbo shook his head. “Look I’m sorry, but you’ve definitely got the wrong guy. No adventures here.”

Gandalf frowned slightly. “Hmm....It would be an excellent opportunity for you,” he paused for a moment, as if calculating his words carefully. “And the boy.”

“I-” Bilbo paused. “How did--”

“You’re relatives were very vocal about your situation when I spoke to them inquiring about your whereabouts.” Gandalf took a breath. “Perhaps I can join you for a cup of coffee inside and explain.”

Part of Bilbo wanted to say ‘No thanks. Now go away,’ another part of him, a part that sounded a lot like his mother, told him to hear the taller man’s proposal.

So he went back inside, where Gandalf took off his hat and scarf, revealing the impressive beard from his mother’s tale. 

“Sugar or cream in your coffee?” Bilbo offered. 

Frodo had finished his meal at this point and was now staring at the stranger, eyebrows furrowed, but his mouth slightly opened, as if waiting for an opportunity to ask a question. .

“Both, if you please,” Gandalf replied to Bilbo’s own question.

Bilbo nodded and turned towards his charge. “Frodo, why don’t you go play in your room?”

Frodo gave one last half suspicious, half awed look look at the tall man who was now making himself at home in Bilbo’s favorite armchair. 

Bilbo sighed for the nth time that night, taking bites of his own meal as he prepared two cups of coffee, one with cream and sugar and one with neither. 

As soon as the two cups were ready, he handed off Gandalf’s and took a seat in the less comfortable of the armchairs. “Now what’s this all about an adventure?”

“I find myself in need of a manager for a mid-sized bookshop I keep in a small town a few hours east of here,” Gandalf began. “Unforeseen circumstances have called me away from the shop, and I do not wish to close it while I go traversing the globe to fix other business related problems.”

“...And you thought of me.”

“Your mother spoke highly of you. The last time I spoke to her, she mentioned you were trying to write a book. The shop is kept open, although most days it is fairly unbusy. It would be a good time to put your mind to words.”

“And yet you have enough money to hire a manager?” Bilbo asked skeptically. 

“The shop was more prosperous in bygone days, and other business endeavors have allowed me to keep it open despite low foot traffic. It’s mostly kept open now out of habit, but I’d hate to see it close even for the time I would be gone.”

“And how long would you be gone?”

“Undetermined as this time. These other business endeavors are quite tricky you know. Nothing illegal, but quite too complicated to explain over just one cup of coffee.” 

Bilbo sighed. “I’m sorry but I can’t. Frodo will need to go back to school in a few months and-

“The town has excellent schools and a first rate after school program, though you could use the small two bedroom apartment right above the shop if you take the position. Frodo could do his homework right after school.”

“And my job here-”

“You’re telling me a son of Bella Took actually enjoys accounting of all things.”

“It’s just not feasible...” again Bilbo was interrupted.

“It’s decided then,” Gandalf spoke loudly. “It would be very good for both of you. And most amusing for me.” He nodded to himself coming to an agreement Bilbo was fairly sure he did not say yes to. “I’ll send the movers in a fortnight.” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table, along with his now empty cup. “Here’s the address, I’ll see you in two weeks time.”

Bilbo shot up out of his chair. “Wait. Wait, this is ridiculous! I didn’t say yes.”

“Consider it a bet that you’ll take it.” Gandalf smiled. “Bilbo Baggins, you can either tolerate the lot life’s given you with a job you hate and the guardian to a boy who is clearly very unhappy with suburban life, or you can prepare for an adventure, write the book you want, and perhaps save a community from the curses of small town life.” Gandalf’s smile faltered a bit, as if recalling a sad memory. “Yes. You’ll do well there.”

Bilbo was not sure what to say after that. He just nodded, muttered a line about ‘wanting to think on it’ and showed Gandalf the door. 

Later that evening as he prepared the pull out couch for bed he picked up Gandalf’s coffee cup, the sheet of paper sticking slightly too it. Bilbo pulled it off, having every intention of throwing it away but instead put it on the counter by the trashcan.

_‘I’ll just give him a call in the morning and tell him no.’_ He thought as he drifted off to sleep. As sleep started to claim him, his mind drifted, picking up an echo of a tune, as if from a long ago half-forgotten memory, and indeed, Bilbo would not remember the incident in the coming morning. But at that moment, the song seemed so important, Bilbo thought. A single line, sung in a deep baritone, came to mind just as sleep fully claimed him.

_For over the Misty Mountains cold...._

===

His cell phone rang loudly before any alarm would have. Bilbo glanced at the number recognizing it as his place of temporary work. “Baggins speaking.”

“Hello, Bilbo,” His manager sounded tired, a sentiment Bilbo readily understood. “This months budget came in, and unfortunately it appears we have to lay off a few of the temp workers. And you know what they say: Last ones in, first ones out.” 

Bilbo’s heart sank. He had been counting on this job to hold him over till he could get a book published. “Are you sure? Is my work not exemplary? I can try harder--”

“I’m sorry, Bilbo. Truly I am, but we have to retain those that are permanent staff first before we can allocate funds for temps. This month’s cutbacks meant there was no room for any funds. It’s not just you we’re laying off. I have to call Milly and Otis after we hang up.”

Bilbo nodded. “Right... I understand.”

“If anything opens up next month, you’ll be the first to know,” his now former manager stated. “You can come in today and pick up anything you left here.”

Bilbo quietly expressed an empty thanks and hung up. Then, deciding that sleep was not going to come back at all that morning, he got up and turned on the coffee maker. 

Gandalf’s sheet with the address was still on the counter. 

Bilbo picked it up, shaking his head even as he considered it. ‘ _It’s too risky,’_ he thought, _‘Frodo’s just starting to feel at home here. I can’t just run off with him into the blue.’_

And yet...

Soft footfalls interrupted his thinking and he looked up to see Frodo wiping sleep from his eyes.

“Who was that, Uncle?”

“Ahh...work...” Bilbo tried to grin. “Looks like you and me get a few free days together. Sounds fun, ehh?”

Frodo just sighed and went to look in the fridge, probably for the orange juice. 

Bilbo looked again at the paper. “Frodo... I know it feels like you just got here....but, how would you feel if we moved to another part of the country?”

“Not near a city?”

“I don’t believe it is.”

“Does this have to do with the bookshop Mr. Gandalf was talking about?” Frodo looked interested.

“You’ve been eavesdropping.”

“No, you were just loud,” Frodo huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and staring Bilbo down, as if he were the adult in this situation. “Where are we going?”

Bilbo glanced down at the dark curly hair, surprised that Frodo just accepted that they would probably be leaving. Then he decided that if Frodo was okay with it, then maybe it would be a fresh start for the both of them.

“A place called Midland.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tricorn Hat- Hat worn mostly in the 17th and 18th centuries. Probably most well known today as the hat Capt. Jack Sparrow wears.) I can totally see Gandalf pulling that look off.
> 
> I'm picturing Midland as a vaguely east coast town in the US. I am from the US, so working with American words for things is slightly easier for me. Though, really the state and country this takes place in won't matter too much for the story. 
> 
> Though, originally in my notes Midland was going to be set in North Dakota because I worked there for a while and was familiar with the landscape. Since moving though I feel that the east coast more represents what I wanted this town to look like. I'm also picturing Bilbo and Frodo as currently living somewhere in the Midwest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been editing this myself as best I could, but with work and other work, and stress, the words have started to blur together. If any major edits are needed, please leave a comment and let me know.

“I think you needed to turn back there, Uncle Bilbo,” Frodo pointed a finger out of the car to a passing street sign.

“Drat,” Bilbo muttered. “Hang on... I think we can get back there if I turn here.” Bilbo turned onto the next street, only to find that it was more of an alleyway that led to the back of the buildings. “Oh dear...”

Gandalf was not exactly lying when he said that Midland was a small town, but that certainly did not make it any easier to navigate. The two main thoroughfares were East-West Road and Forest Road which met up on a diagonal with a roundabout in the middle. Bilbo hated roundabouts; rings of horror they were. 

It was after the roundabout that Bilbo missed his first turn and now landed himself in this narrow side street. “I hope I’m not going the wrong way on a one way street.”

Frodo looked out the window. “Istari Books,” he pointed to a small plain sign that looked to be the back entrance to a shop. “Isn’t that the place?”

“Yes it is,” Bilbo pulled the small car into what was hopefully a parking space. “Perhaps Gandalf won’t mind if we parked in the back.”

Frodo was already unbuckling his seatbelt and hopping out of the car. He had already grabbed his backpack and closed the door by the time Bilbo managed to undo his own seatbelt.

He nearly stumbled when he got out of the car, his hips protesting the shift in position. Stretching, he reached back in only to find that Frodo had already picked up his bag and was carrying it over to the drivers side. “You okay, Uncle Bilbo?” the younger one asked when he noticed his uncle’s tense frame.

Bilbo just huffed out a breath and continued to stretch for a bit before taking the bag. “Just getting old is all.”

“You’re not that old.”

“Indeed Master Frodo,” a voice behind them said. “He’s still younger than me. That doesn’t make him old at all.” 

They turned to find Gandalf standing in the back entrance to the bookshop. He had forgone the tricorn hat and was instead wearing a dark grey top hat, his long hair tied back. His beard was quiet possibly longer and fuller than Bilbo remembered. 

“I hope it’s alright that I parked here,” Bilbo began. Gandalf waved his worries away. 

“It’s fine. That the spot normally reserved for my car, and seeing as you’ll be living here anyway...” Gandalf trailed off.

Bilbo pressed the lock button on the car and closed the door. Together, he and Frodo walked up to the shop’s back entrance.

Frodo looked inside. “It smells.” 

“Frodo...” Bilbo began to scold but Gandalf chuckled. 

“Some of the books are a bit dusty and smelly, I imagine,” Gandalf said, motioning for them to follow him inside, “but there are also a few hidden treasures in this hoard.”

Frodo furrowed his brow, but remained silent. 

Bilbo stepped inside as well. The bookshelves housing several editions of both old and new books extended into the back entrance of the shop. There was a staircase next to the back door, clearly leading up to a closed off upstairs apartment. As Bilbo followed Gandalf to the front of the store, he took in the rows and rows of shelves stuffed full with books. Not so much as to be called over-crowded, or unorganized, but clearly Gandalf was not running low on inventory anytime soon. 

Gandalf smiled and gestured to the counter. “If you give me a few minutes, I can get you the keys and everything for your apartment upstairs.”

Bilbo nodded. “Yes, yes of course. Would you mind if Frodo and I go out and grab the rest of our items out of the car?”

Gandalf absently nodded, opening drawer after drawer in the large desk looking for the apartment keys. Bilbo and Frodo made their way back out the door and to the car. 

Bilbo tried the car door, only to remember locking it just moments earlier. Frowning, he began to search his pockets for the keys. Frodo pulled on his own door uselessly.

Bilbo frantically searched every pocket and his pack but did not come up with the car keys.

“Um, Uncle Bilbo?” Frodo’s voice came from his side of the car. Looking through the window, Bilbo saw Frodo pointing at something in the car.

Bilbo followed the finger and saw his car keys sitting innocently in the driver’s seat. In a locked car. 

How useful.

Groaning Bilbo banged his head against the window a few times. “Of all the times to...” he trailed off and sighed. “Frodo. Could you run and see if Gandalf has the name for a locksmith?”

Frodo sighed as well but nodded and ran back inside. In short order Gandalf made his way back out.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“Keys,” Bilbo pointed at his car. “In car. Where they are just absolutely no help at all.” 

Gandalf chuckled, “I see. Well, the closest locksmith is several hours away.” Bilbo groaned but Gandalf continued, “However, there is an auto shop closeby, I can give them and call and see if they can come out and help. In the meantime, why don’t you come back inside and help get Frodo settled upstairs. The apartment keys are on the kitchen counter.”

Following Gandalf back inside, Bilbo made his way up the stairs. The apartment above was empty, but not as dusty as Bilbo had feared. Everything had been recently cleaned, with hardwood floors and tall windows. The door opened into the main sitting area, with the kitchen off to the right and the bedrooms and bathroom to the left. Looking around, Bilbo found that the bedrooms were similarly sized with a large window in each. The bathroom was located at the end of the hall. Frodo had claimed the bedroom closest to the kitchen, his backpack already laid out and the boy sitting and finishing the book he had been reading before Bilbo asked him to help with directions. 

For a small apartment, the kitchen was decent sized. A stove and oven occupied one wall, while the sink and dishwasher were located against the other. An open space between the cupboards and the counter with the sink meant that Bilbo could watch Frodo do his homework in the sitting area while Bilbo cleaned up after dinner. 

It was a very well thought-out apartment space, perfect for a small family unit. For perhaps the first time since entering Midland, Bilbo felt sure that he made the right decision.

“Look Uncle Bilbo!” Frodo had finally noticed that his uncle had made his way up the stairs. “I got my own room!”

“Indeed you do!” Bilbo smiled. “No more kicking Uncle out onto the couch, right?”

Frodo giggled as Bilbo ruffled his hair.

“I take it the apartment is to your liking then.” Gandalf walked through the entrance. 

“It’s...perfect,” Bilbo admitted. “Our stuff should be here tomorrow.”

Gandalf nodded. “I’ll stay here till the weekend before leaving, to get you settled and all. But I’ll definitely be stopping by now and then between trips.”

“But Mr. Gandalf, where will you stay for the next couple of days?” Frodo wondered.

“Worry not!” Gandalf smiled. “My friend Roderick has a spare bedroom that I shall be using when I’m in town. Gives you and your uncle plenty of space to get settled.”

Frodo seemed pleased with the answer and grabbed Gandalf’s hand, eager to show off his room and where he planned to put everything.

Bilbo watched them fondly, glad that the change of scenery seemed to help Frodo open up more. Suddenly there was a knock on the door downstairs.

“Ah Bilbo, that will probably be the man I called to look at your car, could you go let them in? I’ll be down in just a second,” Gandalf called from where Frodo was leading him around.

Bilbo nodded and rushed back downstairs. He looked through the glass door at the front of the shop and nearly stopped in his tracks.

The man outside was huge. ‘Like a bear’ his mind supplied. He was bald, with a long, but well groomed dark beard. 

Bilbo opened the door and the bear-man gave a small, but fierce smile. “Dand McFundin, at your service.”

“...Bilbo Baggins, at yours,” Bilbo managed to get out. “You’re here about the car, yes?” he opened the door wider and let the man, Dand, in. 

Dand nodded. “Aye, Gandalf mentioned that his new manager locked his keys in the car.”

“Uh... yeah... that’d be me,” Bilbo raised his hand half heartedly. “First time I’ve ever done something like that. Just a lot on my mind I guess.”

The bald man raised an eyebrow but did not say anything else, following Bilbo out the back of the store to his car.

He hesitantly stood watch while Dand studied all of the locks. Suddenly he heard another knock. Bilbo looked up sharply, but found that it wasn’t Dand who made the noise.

Dand glanced at him. “That’d be the door.” He motioned towards the store again, and Bilbo realized that he meant the front door. 

Bilbo went back inside and glanced upstairs, but it appeared that Frodo was still giving Gandalf a tour of Gandalf’s own apartment so Bilbo went and unlocked the front door again. 

The man at the door was significantly shorter than the bear man that was looking at his car. Nearly as short as Bilbo, the man was quite a bit older, with white hair and a short, equally white beard. 

“Uh, good day,” Bilbo muttered, unsure of what, exactly, he should do.

The man nodded, “Yes, yes it is a very pleasant day.”

“....may I help you?” Bilbo asked.

The man chuckled. “I hope so, I’m here to pick up some books.”

“Oh! Right, sorry.” Bilbo turned and let the man in. “Please, let me just go find Gandalf.”

“Bert! Is that you?” Came a voice from outside. 

“Aindea!” The white haired man, Bert, called back. “What are you doing here?”

“Gandalf’s new manager locked his keys in the car!” Dand smiled widely as he walked into the main shop area. “Did you get shorter, big brother?”

“Wider, not shorter,” Bert mumbled. 

“Ah. I did not expect you to come today, Aibert,” Gandalf’s voice came down the stairs. A second set of quicker footsteps indicated that Frodo was in tow. 

“Sorry Gandalf, I had to come in today,” Bert called up. “Avery and I decided to meet tomorrow to discuss our upcoming combined class.”

“Ah yes, that linguistics and history class,” Gandalf said as he came in. “I must admit it did sound intriguing. If other ventures did not call me elsewhere, I would be tempted to enroll back into college myself.”

Bert chuckled. “I am afraid that you might be the only one there out of pure interest. Most of the students I believe are taking it for mostly the double credit or because they know Professor Bolton or I.”

“Nonetheless,” Gandalf surmised. “It is a chance for them to learn something new.” He then turned to Bilbo.“ Just as now is an excellent opportunity for you to learn the cash register and advanced order procedures.” 

Bilbo watched attentively as Gandalf went through all of the procedures, writing notes as the older man spoke. 

After Bert’s order was completed and he made his exit, Dand came back to the front. 

“Not sure if I can get your keys out without breaking the door completely, don’t really have the right tools and all, but if you don’t mind, I know a guy who is really good at, uh, getting into things.” Dand shrugged, “I can have him take a look if you want. Wouldn’t cost you anything extra, the guy already owes me a ton of favors.” 

Bilbo raised an eyebrow. “And you mean ‘Get into things’ as in breaking and entering?”

“Reformed thief. Hasn’t stolen a thing in ages, but he’s a good lockpick to have around if needed,” Dand clarified. 

“I assume you mean Nick Miller,” Gandalf intervened. “If that’s the case, Bilbo, then he is indeed a trustworthy man for the job.”

Bilbo thought about it before nodding. “Can he be here by the afternoon? I’ll need to get some stuff out of the car before the movers get here.”

“Oh, yeah,” Dand agreed. “He’s probably having lunch at the diner with his brother’s now.” He looked towards Frodo who was browsing through the children’s section. “If you and the little one haven't had a bite yet, I can show you the best place in town for every meal.”

“I’m not little!” Frodo protested. He then turned his eyes on Bilbo. “Can we Uncle? I’m starving.”

“Hi, Starving. I’m Uncle,” Bilbo joked.

Frodo frowned at the jest, “That’s never been funny.” 

Bilbo laughed anyway and ruffled his nephew’s hair. Ever since leaving the suburbs and driving out to Midland, Frodo had been opening up a bit more. It was another sign that they had made the right choice. “If Mr. Dand doesn’t mind escorting us and Gandalf doesn’t mind us taking a short lunch, we can go.”

“I insist,” Gandalf motioned towards the door with his hand. “It’ll give me time to organize my thoughts on what all I need to teach you before I leave.”

“Do you want anything?” Bilbo asked.

“Oh no thank you, “ Gandalf replied.

They left the shop, Dand in the lead. He led the way back to the main road, before taking a right, leading out of town the way Bilbo and Frodo had come in. He realized that they must be heading towards a medium size restaurant Bilbo had spotted on the way in. Sure enough, Dand opened the door for them right at “Barney’s Breakfast, Brunch and Bar.” 

“Interesting combination.” Bilbo noted as he stepped inside.

“Barney couldn’t decide if he wanted a breakfast diner or a bar and grill. Finally his wife said that he might as well do all or nothing.” Dand explained. 

Bilbo chuckled followed the sign to the Brunch area. Dwalin told him that around this time of day it was free seating and the bald man went off to find this Nick Miller. Bilbo and Frodo sat in a booth around the corner and eventually an energetic young blond man hurriedly ran over to set the table and give them menus. 

“Hi! I’m Philip. My brother will be right with you for your orders. Can I get you started on anything to drink?”

“Chocolate milk!” Frodo declared. 

“That’s the best!” the young man replied. 

Bilbo chucked, “Water for me.” 

The young man nodded and ran off. Just a few minutes later, another, even younger man, came to their table. Though he had long dark brown hair tied back into a short pony tail, it was clear that he and the young blond man were related. They had the same facial features, and their eyes, though a shade different, were similar in shape. 

“Welcome! My name is Kyle. I’ll be serving you today.” He glanced at both Frodo and Bilbo. “You must be Mr. Boggins! Gandalf has been telling us you’d be coming!” He grinned so excitedly, Bilbo could not be mad that the young man got his name wrong. It did not stop him from correcting the error, though. 

“It’s Baggins. Bilbo Baggins.”

“And I’m Frodo!” the younger boy grinned, “Is Mr. Philip gonna come back with the chocolate milk? I’m starving!”

“Starving!” Kyle exclaimed. “Oh boy! I’ll get Phil to hurry up then. Do you know what you want to order though?”

“Fishsticks and fries!” Frodo pointed to the order on the menu. “And can I have blue cheese dressing to dip the fries in?”

“Of course!” Kyle quickly wrote down the order. “And you, Mr. Baggins?”

Bilbo smiled at the emphasis on his name. “I think I’ll have the same.” 

Kyle nodded. He left to put the order in just as Philip returned with the drinks. 

Frodo started guzzling as soon as he thanked Philip. 

Bilbo chuckled at his nephews enthusiasm. A slight cough at the edge of the table brought his attention back to Dand and another man with shoulder length dark red hair and thick eyebrows. 

“Nick Miller,” Dand introduced. “Nick this is Bilbo Baggins. He’s taking over Gandalf’s store.”

“Just for a while.” Bilbo clarified before holding his hand out.

Nick eyed it suspiciously before shaking it with a firm grip. “Dand says you locked your keys in the car? That’s pretty dumb.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Bilbo muttered. “Dand says you have experience with locked cars?”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “Not just cars if we’re being specific. But I’m reformed now. Allegedly.”

“Ya are!” Dand insisted. “Besides, if you weren’t Dave would have your head.”

Nick nodded, but he didn’t look like he believed it. “What kind of car do you have?”

Bilbo rattled off the information as Nick nodded. “Yeah... I think Dand has something back at the shop I could use to jimmy it open. You’d just owe Dand the cost of time and tools. I just work as a consultant.” He gave Bilbo a questioning look. “You want to wait till you and the kid eat so you can observe and make sure I don’t take anything.”

Bilbo looked closely at him. “I trust you. But have you and your family finished eating yet? If not, please finish. It’s not an emergency to get the items out, I just would like to get my car unpacked before the movers get here tomorrow.” 

“We just finished paying the bill.” Another voice called. Bilbo turned in his seat to find an older gentleman with several streaks of white in his hair next two a much younger man, around Kyle’s age, that had an unfortunate bowl cut and clutching a worn backpack. They approached Bilbo and Frodo’s table. 

“I’m Dave and this is Oliver. We’re Nicholas's brothers,” The older one, Dave, explained. “Dand explained that you needed Nick’s help?”

“I’m just helping him get his car keys back,” Nick ground out. “It’s not like he’s hiring me to steal the mayor’s underwear.”

“Could you do that though?” a small voice piped up.

Dand laughed loudly while Nick and Oliver chuckled at Frodo’s statement. Nick winked. “Aye, lad, I probably could. But then Dave here would probably chase me out of town still clutching the evidence.”

“And Sheriff O’Dale would help. He’s quite tired of giving you a second chance.” Dave chided.

Kyle arrived with their food and the group made their goodbyes, Dand and Nick promising to leave the keys and bill with Gandalf for Bilbo to pay when he gets back.

Frodo dug into his fish with gusto, quickly alternating between fish and french fry, dumping both into the blue cheese dressing. Bilbo went about his meal more carefully, finishing the fish before starting on the fries. 

“So what do you think so far?” Bilbo asked.

Frodo shrugged before taking another bite of fry. “I like it. Lots of interesting people. And Gandalf’s books are cool.” He spoke with his mouth full, but quickly swallowed when Bilbo gave him a look.

Bilbo nodded. “Gandalf thinks we’ll be here long enough for you to start at the local school.”

“That’s cool.” Frodo drug his last fry through the dressing. “Will homework still suck though?”

Bilbo laughed. “I think homework sucks no matter where you are. But we’ll power through it as always.” 

Frodo sighed but agreed. “At least there’s no Aunt Lizzy.”

Bilbo broke out into a soft smile. “Come on, let’s pay and see if Mr. Dand and Mr. Nick finished with the car. It’d be nice to get the air mattress set up before dinner, yeah?”

Frodo nodded and they quickly got Kyle to give them the bill. They had to pay at the front counter, which was monitored by middle aged man with short red hair and a prominent receding hairline. 

“Did you enjoy your meal today?” the man asked. 

“Yeah, it was great!” Frodo exclaimed. “The fish was really, really good!”

The man laughed. “I shall tell my wife you said so!”

“Your wife is the cook?” Frodo questioned. Bilbo grinned as he paid the man.

“Indeed, best cook in town for lunch!” the man chuckled, his large belly moving along with his laughs. “And here’s your change back, sir.” He passed the bills and coins to Bilbo. “I hope to see you two soon!”

“Thanks Mr....” Frodo trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

“Prinius. Barney Prinius.” The man’s eyes were patient and kind. 

“I’m Frodo! And this is my Uncle Bilbo!” 

Barney nodded. “It was nice to meet you both.”

“Buy Mr. Boggins and little Boggins!” Kyle called. Philip waved from his place near the bar. 

Frodo giggled and waved back. 

Together they made their way back to the bookshop. When they got there Gandalf was with two more guests by the counter, and another two were browsing near the back. Bilbo was beginning to wonder if Gandalf was exaggerating when he said the shop was generally quiet. 

“Ah Bilbo!” Gandalf exclaimed when he saw them. “I trust you enjoyed lunch?”

“Very much so. The food was delicious!” Bilbo replied.

“Oh Barney will be glad to hear that!” One of the men at the counter exclaimed. “I bet it was Ginny who was cooking this morning.” The man turned and grinned at Bilbo with a white smile and equally joyful brown eyes. On top of his head sat a very odd looking hat. “Very proud of his wife he is.” 

“Frodo already told him what we thought of the food.” Bilbo began, before noticing that the other man at the counter seemed to flinch and curl in on himself. “He did seem very happy about it.” 

The man laughed loudly and the other man next to him flinched slightly at the sudden noise. “Oh, sorry Briar.” The first man patted Briar’s shoulder gently. “Are you okay?”

The other man, Briar, nodded. He turned and Bilbo got a good look at him. He had dark hair like his companion, but it was streaked with silver. He was wringing his hands and his dark eyes darted between Bilbo and the door. 

Frodo seemed to understand and he grabbed Bilbo’s hand, dragging him out of the doorway and backing up towards the shelves. Briar relaxed slightly, though his gaze never really left Bilbo’s. A strange sentence of unintelligible words fell from his lips as he continued to stare at Bilbo.

“I’m sorry?”

Briar continued to agitate his hands and muttering his words, his voice rising in pitch when Bilbo could not understand him. 

The other man took his companions hands, stopping the movement. “Briar? Briar, hey it’s ok. You’re safe here. I believe that’s Mr. Baggins, Gandalf’s new manager. He’s new in town. And that’s his son.”

“Nephew.” Frodo corrected before Bilbo could stop him from interrupting.

“Nephew.” The man then moved his hands from Briar’s hands to his shoulders. “Why don’t you go ahead and wait outside. Get some fresh air.”

Briar nodded. He moved past Bilbo, giving the shorter man one last lingering look before heading out the door. 

“You must have reminded him of someone he knew.” the man stated as soon as his companion was out of earshot. 

“Oh?”

“Yeah. He was in an accident a few years back. Got hit in the head pretty hard and hasn’t been the same as before. But he’s recovering. Helps me out at the shop.” He held out his hand and Bilbo shook it. “Bobby Prinius. Toymaker extraordinaire!” 

“Bilbo Baggins. Average bookshop manager.”

Bobby laughed. “Don’t sell yourself short. I’m sure you’ll be the best bookshop manager around here. Aside from Mr. Gandalf, of course.”

Gandalf chuckled. “I’m sure Bilbo will surpass me in a few short weeks.” He paused for a short moment, glancing between Bilbo and the view out the window. “Yes, I’m sure he’ll fit in just fine around here.”

“I hope so.” Bilbo stated. 

“Sorry to interrupt Gandalf, but I was hoping there was a book you could order.” One of the other men asked. The other hovered behind him, a stack of books already accumulating in his hands. 

“Of course, Glen.” He motioned for Glen to step up to the counter. “Bilbo would you join me for a few moments. We have another opportunity to learn something new.” 

Bilbo nodded and took out his notes from earlier. He continued to observe and write down Gandalf’s tips for ordering books. By the door Bobby and Frodo continued to chat, Frodo often laughing at something Bobby had said. 

“A book on business colleges Glen?” Gandalf noted. “Planning on going back to school?”

“It’s for Greg.” Glen muttered. “I’m hoping that if I do the research for him, he’ll be more excited about applying.” He scratched at his dark red beard, which matched his equally red hair. 

“Or he could choose something else entirely.” The other man said, brushing his long white hair out of his face. Bilbo noticed a hearing aid in his right ear. “Maybe follow in his uncle Owen’s footsteps and become a doctor.”

“I’m sure whatever young Gregory decides on, he shall excel at.” Gandalf mediated. 

After ordering Glen the book and checking out Owen’s new collection of mystery books, Gandalf began to show Bilbo some other things he would have to know how to do on a semi daily basis. 

Bilbo glanced up from where he was starting to count the money drawer to find Frodo waving goodbye to Bobby. 

“Uncle Bilbo and I will be by soon, Mr. Bobby!” Frodo shouted as he waved from the doorway.

“And where are we going?” Bilbo wondered.

“To Mr. Bobby’s toy store. He was telling me about some of the new toys he got in that he needed feedback on from a trustworthy tester of toys.” Frodo puffed out his chest as he approached the counter. Bilbo grinned and poked the boy in his stomach. Frodo’s air sputter out of him as he laughed. 

“I’m sure we’ll get around to it before Gandalf leaves,” Bilbo said, not losing count of the bills. He began a recount anyway to be sure, shifting the bills so they all faced the same way. 

“Mr. Gandalf? Did Mr. Dand get Uncle’s keys out of the car?”

“Ah yes, he did.” Gandalf reached under the counter for both the keys and the bill. “Would you like help to start bringing things up?”

“Oh yes please!” Frodo grabbed the keys and ran for the back door. 

“Oh you don’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense, I’d be delighted.” Gandalf waved his worries away. “I believe that we can close the store for a lunch hour. Just finish counting the money and place it in the money bag there. You can bring it all upstairs while we unpack. Turn the sign around to the ‘closed’ part before you come up.”

Bilbo nodded at the instructions and Gandalf followed Frodo out the back door. 

Bilbo counted the money one last time before grabbing the money bag and starting to place everything inside. He was so caught up in his work that he did not notice the door opening.

“Are you stealing that?” a voice in front of him stated.

Bilbo startled, nearly dropping the handful of quarters in his palm. He looked up to find a man, nearly as tall as Dand, staring down at him. His long dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and piercing bright blue eyes stared accusingly at him from behind a large, prominent nose. 

“Well, Mr. Burglar?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this chapter ended up being longer than I had intended, but i also wanted all of the dwarves introduced in one chapter and they all wanted their individual introductions and I had to acquiesce to their request. I've tried to keep the dwarves's personalities the same so it's easy to distinguish them with their new names, but if there are still any questions here is a complete list including last names for those whose last names were not introduced in this chapter. Some of the names I chose for specific meanings, others just sounded pleasingly similar to their original names, so if a name was chosen because it meant something, I've made a note of it:
> 
> Dwalin= Aindea (Dand) MacFundin - Aindrea is a Scottish name meaning "Warrior"  
> Balin= Ailbert (Bert) MacFundin - Scottish name meaning "Bright nobility"  
> Fili= Philip Durinson  
> Kili= Kyle Durinson  
> Nori= Nick Miller- The name was chosen cause I liked it, though for those who wish to know, one way of writing the Japanese name "Nori" translates into "rule, law, or standard" which I find unintentionally funny.  
> Dori= Dave Miller - (If anyone is interested, in my notes, Dori was called Dwight for the longest time, until I decided it sounded too much like "Dwalin" to use)  
> Ori= Oliver Miller  
> Bombur= Barney Prinius  
> Bofur = Bobby Prinius  
> Bifur= Briar Prinius - The last name "Prinius" did mean something when I chose it, but of course i didn't ever write down what that something was...  
> Gloin= Glen Chauncy  
> Oin= Owen Chancy - The last name Chauncy means "Good fortune"  
> Thorin= To Be introduced....
> 
> There were other names mentioned in this chapter that are names for other characters who will have a more in depth introduction later.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine, that said, I'd like to know about them! 
> 
> Also short chapter is short, but I can guarantee a longer one next time. This just seemed like a good place to stop.

“Well, Mr. Burglar?”

Bilbo forced himself to look away from those eyes and back down at the money in his hand. He felt his face flush in indignation as the man’s words hit him

“Excuse me? For your information I am not stealing! I haven't stolen a thing in my life!” Bilbo stuffed the cash in the bag and placed it on the counter, his hands hovering over it. 

“Well, we are in Mr. Gandalf’s store, and you have Mr. Gandalf’s money and you are not Mr. Gandalf,” the man countered. 

Bilbo felt his temper rise. This man was so infuriating to assume so much from something so little. “Everyone in this town seems to know me as ‘Bilbo Baggins the temporary store manager for Gandalf while he travels for business’ except you! So don’t go assuming things just because you can’t get your head out of your arse long enough to keep up with the local gossip!” Bilbo’s voice rose, and he was sure Gandalf and Frodo could here him from up the stairs. 

He didn’t hear any feet rushing down the stairs quite yet though. 

The man, for his part seems to have realized his error, however in lieu of apologizing for his accusation, he continued to insult Bilbo. “You look more like a grocer than a store manager.”

“And yet, more of a burglar than a grocer?” Bilbo countered.

Much to Bilbo’s astonishment, the man continued his rudeness. “I need you to find me a book.”

“Clearly. Perhaps one on manners?” Bilbo muttered. 

“I did not realize making sure a friend was not about to be burgled counted as a rude gesture.”

“Maybe not to Gandalf, but it certainly was to me.”

Finally, the man seemed somewhat remorseful for his earlier words. “My apologies then. I did not mean to mistake you for a burglar. I see now you are much too fussy to be a common thief.”

Bilbo chose to ignore the next insult, instead focusing on the footfalls that were coming down the stairs. 

“Ah Thorn. I see you met my new manager.”

“Ah yes, he doesn’t seem like manager material.” The man, Thorn, spoke much less harshly. Clearly he had more respect for Gandalf, than he had for strangers.

Well, Bilbo really couldn’t fault him for that. The last time a stranger came to his door after all, it had been Gandalf and he nearly shut the door in his face. 

“None the less, Bilbo will be the manager of the store while I am away. I trust you will afford him the same respect you give me.”

Thorn rolled his eyes but said nothing.

Gandalf sighed then turned to Bilbo. “May I present Thorn Doran. He is the town handyman and he works with Dand down at the auto shop. If you need anything fixed while you are here, just give him a call.”

Bilbo instantly wished silently that nothing would ever, ever break in this store or the apartment above it. Thorn appeared to have the same thought. 

Gandalf just gave them a weary glance but addressed Frodo who was hanging back by the stairs. “Why don’t we go back upstairs and you can show me the rest of your book collection. I dare say, you may yet surprise me with the number of books you brought.”

“And some of them are still in the moving truck!” Frodo smiled, uncaring of the tension between his uncle and the stranger. 

“I trust you can help Mr. Doran with his query!” Gandalf called as Frodo led him back upstairs. 

Bilbo sighed, his reprieve from the rude man gone and turned back to Thorn, mustering up the last of the manners and politeness his parents had drilled into him. “What may I help you find today?”

Thorn looked back at him. “My...friend’s son’s birthday is coming up, and he wished for some books. His brother implored me to find books on architecture, rather than the auto-repair guides I gifted him with last year.”

“Let me see what I can find.” Bilbo reached under the desk to pull out the small map he had drawn of the store layout earlier. “Let’s see, architecture is by history...so...” He picked up the map and began to lead his way to the small shelf of books. 

“You do not have the store memorized?” Thorn questioned, but it wasn’t rude or insulting as Bilbo would have imagined, but genuinely curious.

“I just started today. Forgive me for not memorizing every detail within a few hours.” Bilbo said. He tried not the say that last sentence with a lot of sarcasm, but he feared his efforts were for naught. 

“I have insulted you again.”

Bilbo sighed as they reached the shelf. “No, no... it’s fine. I mean, yes you have insulted me, but I shall get over it. It’s been a rather trying day.”

“I see.” Thorn reached up to thumb the spine of one of the few architecture books and he read over the titles of them. “So little to choose from.”

“If you find one you think your friend’s son will like, I can search online to find a similar book and have it shipped to the store free of charge.” 

“I will keep that in mind.”

Bilbo sensed his presence was no longer needed and he stepped away. Returning to the desk, he placed the money bag in the safe and locked it. He decided to wait out Thorn’s perusal of the books before closing the store. 

Thankfully Thorn was quick with his selections, picking out a book on local architecture, and another that covered the topic more broadly. “I’m afraid I do not know for sure where his interest lies. Kyle wasn’t very forthcoming with the exact subject, and Philip’s never talked about it with me.” 

Bilbo smiled. “Kyle and Philip? They work at the restaurant down the road, right?”

“Yes...” Thorn looked suspicious.

Bilbo grinned a little, hoping to relieve Thorn’s unease. “My nephew and I went there for lunch today. They were both very polite and Frodo liked them alot.” 

For just a moment, Thorn smiled and Bilbo felt his breath catch in his throat. “They are good boys. Though they were much rowdier in their youth.”

“I can imagine.” Bilbo smiled back, and there was a quiet moment before Bilbo remembered himself and began to ring up Thorn’s purchase. He continued to smile though as they exchanged cash for items and Bilbo put the purchases in the bag. 

“I suppose I’ll see you around, then?”

“Perhaps, Mr. Burglar.” Thorn said, then walked out the door into the afternoon sun. 

Bilbo hurried behind him and quickly locked the door, flipping the sign to read “closed.” He walked back to the counter and leaned against it sighing. It had only been a few hours since he had reached Midland and already it had been a very, very long day.

He trudged up the stairs to the apartment. The door was still open and he walked through to find Frodo reading to Gandalf from one of his favorite books. The boxes from the car had all been unloaded and separated into Frodo and Bilbo’s bedrooms. The car keys were on the counter next to what Bilbo presumed to be the apartment keys. 

“I didn’t hear more shouting, so I trust you helped Thorn with his inquiry?”

Bilbo faced Gandalf, “Yeah. Sorry about that. Is he always so....”

“Blunt?”

“I was going to go with infuriatingly rude but sure, let’s use your word choice.” Bilbo muttered.

Gandalf chuckled. “Thorn Doran has been through alot in this town, more than anyone should have to endure. He has made an enemy for himself out of one of the most prominent men in town and as such, many have looked down on him. It has made him very leery of strangers and public places.” 

“Ah...” Bilbo didn’t think Gandalf was telling him everything, but he was polite enough not to ask. 

“Your other items should arrive tomorrow correct?” Gandalf inquired. “I shall have to take you out to dinner this week to celebrate your arrival, that way you and Frodo are not at a loss for filling up the pantry right away.”

“Oh no you don’t have to do that.”

“None the less, I want to do it.” Gandalf nodded towards Bilbo’s bedroom. “Now, we do have a few hours till dinner, which Radagast has invited us over. Bilbo, I can show you some more of the inventory process while the store is closed.”

“What can I do?” Frodo asked, eager to help. 

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind, the bookshelves could use a good dusting.” Gandalf seemed unsure if the boy would accept a cleaning job but Bilbo knew Frodo would do just about anything to be helpful.

Frodo grinned. “I can’t reach the tall shelves, but I can clean the lower ones real well.”

Gandalf nodded and led them all downstairs again. He handed off a cleaning cloth and a bit of furniture polish for the bookshelves to Frodo and the boy was off, starting at the shelves near the counter.

The afternoon passed quickly as Bilbo learned more about the store. As time went on, his notebook got fuller with tips and guides through some of the trickier processes. Gandalf had made it clear that though he’d make his cell number available, he may not always be able to talk to Bilbo should the need arise, so the day to day problems would be up to Bilbo to solve.

\--

Frodo hummed as he worked, steadily wiping down each bookshelf with the cleaning cloth before going back over it with just a bit of furniture polish. He shifted and took out the books so he could clean behind them, and then returned them before moving on to the next shelf. Over the course of the afternoon, had steadily made his way down to the back of the store. As he pulled out the next set of books and was startled to realize that he recognized the title. Without realizing it, he had found the children’s section of the book store. He grinned and put down his cleaning cloth, beginning to flip through some of the other books. The section was a bit bigger than others in the store, and he spent much of the time perusing for titles he hadn’t read. 

A sudden noise from the front of the store jerked him out of his daze and he glanced back towards the front. He could hear his uncle muttering under his breath, clearly agitated with something at the register and Gandalf was chuckling at his Uncle’s misfortune. 

Frodo grinned to himself and he resumed his cleaning. He began to pull the books from the shelf. As he pulled another handful out, he noticed that a book had fallen between the shelf and the wall. 

Furrowing his brow, he pulled the other half of the books off of the bookshelf and then reached in, scooting the red leather bound book up and then gently pulling it out. 

It was very dusty, and very, very old. Frodo wondered if it had been hiding back there since Gandalf opened the store. 

He began to flip through it, not finding a price sticker or anything else on the cover that gave away it’s contents. The only thing that he could see on the cover was a small “BB” stylized at the bottom in gold embossing. 

He turned to the first page. 

_“In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a dirty, nasty wet hole filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”_

Frodo grinned, liking the beginning. He flipped through it some more, stopping when he found a few hand drawn images. One appeared to be the hobbit from the beginning, and Frodo had to take a closer look at the image.

“Frodo!” 

Frodo jumped up from his book, letting it clatter to the ground. “Uncle Bilbo?”

“Didn’t mean to startle you.” Bilbo began, “But it’s nearly time for dinner. and Gandalf says that his friend lives a towards the edge of town. We’ll be taking separate cars so Gandalf can stay with his friend for the night.”

Frodo nodded and began to replace the books he had taken out of the bookshelves earlier.

“Oh, and Gandalf says that for your help today, you can have one book from the store to add to your collection.”

Frodo nodded and picked up the red leather book. “Uncle?”

“Yes?” Bilbo turned back. 

Frodo suddenly had a vision of his Uncle, but smaller, with curly golden hair framing his face, and wearing a waistcoat instead of the sweaters he preferred. His pants were short, like the capri shorts his female classmates wore on warmer days, and instead of the shoes his uncle never went anywhere without, the Bilbo in his vision was barefoot. And he had the hairiest feet Frodo had ever seen. 

He blinked, and the image was gone. His uncle stood there, looking confused when Frodo didn’t respond. 

Frodo looked back at the red book. “I want this one.”

Bilbo nodded. “We’ll double check with Gandalf, but he did say whatever you wanted.” He walked back to the front of the store.

Frodo opened his book again just to check. Cause what he saw was probably just a trick. 

But sure enough, when he looked back at the hand drawn image, though it was in black and white, there could be no mistake.

The man -- no -- the Hobbit in the book looked exactly like his uncle Bilbo. 

\--

The route to Gandalf’s friend took them back round the roundabout, and Bilbo cursed as he entered and exited, still convinced that the ring of roads would quite possibly kill him. They then turned onto the Forest Road, passing by a residential area and heading towards the forest that surrounded the town. On the very edge of the forest was a large Victorian house with tall spires. The setting sun cast the house in a glow, making it’s terracotta colored siding appear golden and the dark brown trim even darker. Frodo stared out the window as they passed by, leaning his head out to try and catch a glimpse of the back. 

“Wow... They must have a large family to have a house that big!” Frodo wondered. 

“Or just a small family who likes big houses.” Bilbo mused before following Gandalf’s old gray Lincoln into the dense woods. 

Eventually, they came to a small cottage connected to the main road via a long drive way. If Gandalf hadn’t been leading in his car, Bilbo never would have known a house existed in this area of the woods. There was no mailbox, or sign post declaring that there was a house far back, nestled in a clearing and ringed with tall maple trees.

A short, stout man in a brown sweater and dark brown jeans came to greet them. “Gandalf, I almost thought you weren’t coming!”

“Nonsense Rodrick, I just had to make sure Bilbo and Frodo were settled in before we left.”

“Well, dinner is on the table.” He turned to Frodo and Bilbo. “I hope you are not allergic to animal hair, I have a few living in the house.”

“Pets?” Frodo asked

“Oh not really.” Roderick turned and started to lead them through the front door. “They just come stay with me occasionally.”

“Oh. Uncle Bilbo is just allergic to horse hair I think. He sneezed non-stop when he took me to the fair.”

“Well I can assure you there are no horses here. They all stay penned up by Avery Bolton’s place.”

“Avery?” Bilbo furrowed his brow, the unusual name sounding familiar.

“He’s a professor with Bert out at the college.” Gandalf explained.

“Right, you were talking about him earlier today. The class he and Bert were teaching together.”

Gandalf nodded. “He lives on the other edge of town with a stable of horses on his property.”

“Ahh...”

“Does he let people ride the horses?” Frodo wondered. 

“Occasionally. If I have the chance, I’ll introduce you before I leave.”

“And when will be that be again Gandalf? You’ve taken over the Sebastian’s room and he’s quite agitated at being moved temporarily.”

“Sebastian?” Bilbo wondered. Of the few things Gandalf had mentioned about his friend, it was clear that he lived alone.

“My hedgehog.” Roderick explained. “He’s nocturnal and very sensitive to others in his room, so I move him to mine on the few occasions I’ve had guests.”

“I apologize for temporarily displacing him.” Gandalf smiled. “But I shall be gone by the end of the weekend.”

“So soon?” Bilbo worried, unsure if he would have a hang of the bookstore within the three days time.

“I have every confidence that you will succeed in this venture.” Gandalf praised, turning to retrieve a plate and get himself some dinner. “I foresee you having a great impact on this town.”

Bilbo looked down at his own plate, unsure of how to respond to that. 

Dinner passed quietly, with Bilbo learning a little more about the town and surrounding forest area. Apparently, most things could be bought in town, and as such most residents never left the area. There was never a reason to. 

“Who owns that big house at the edge of the forest?” Frodo wondered, his plate empty and he was now staring at the older men, curious for more information.

“Ah, that would be the home of Terence Alberich. He and his son, Lennox, have lived there as long as I can remember.” Roderick grimaced. “Lennox is nice enough, goes to the college down the road and always brings back any of the animals that may have gotten lost, but Terence...he’s a bit of a stickler, particularly for his garden. Everything in there is very meticulously organized.” 

Gandalf gave a slight chuckled. “Of course. I remember Thorn and Dand complaining loudly when Terrance brought his car in for an oil change and a thorough cleaning. Apparently he made them vacuum out the seats several times before accepting that it was up to his standards.”

“Oh he that was probably just the old feud bleeding through.” Roderick muttered. “He never did like Dur....er. Thron and his crowd.”

Bilbo briefly wondered what Roderick was about to say, but thought better of it, instead returning to the last of his potatoes. 

“May I be excused, Uncle Bilbo?”

Bilbo nodded. Frodo went to his backpack and pulled out the red book he had found earlier. He sat on the couch in the living room, continuing to flip through the book. 

As Bilbo looked back towards the others seated at the table, he noticed Gandalf giving Frodo an odd look, but the expression vanished as Gandalf resumed talking to Roderick.

The conversation continued for a while before Bilbo noticed the time and made his excuses to leave and get Frodo to bed. 

Gandalf and Roderick waved at them from the porch as Bilbo backed out the of the long driveway. 

They drove back down the Forest Road, once again passing by the Alberich house. While it looked almost ethereal in the glow of sunset, in the dark of night it appeared almost ominous, looming at the forest line. There were no lights on, and nothing made it appear that it was lived in. 

They headed into town, going through the roundabout. Bilbo’s car nearly got clipped by a passing truck as he made his way around. Taking a deep breath, he continued on and finally made it back to the store. Parking in back, Bilbo double checked to make sure his keys were in his hand before he shut the door. 

They headed up stairs and shared the air mattress that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the book. It will be mentioned more often than not! ;)
> 
> Character Names! Again, there were some characters who were mentioned that will receive a longer intro later, and so I'm saving their names and reasoning behind them for that time though I am sure it's not difficult to surmise who they are.
> 
> Thorin Oakenshield - Thorn Doran - I cannot tell you how many times the last name changed. Fun fact - it actually changed again as I was posting this. Doran is a name meaning "Stranger, exile, or outcast." Thorn started out as a mistype of Thorin but I liked the name enough to keep it, as it seemed to match Thorin's prickly personality.
> 
> Radagast - Roderick Coney - Coney is old english for Rabbit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I wanted to stick to a schedule of updating every other week... but then.... life kicked me in a gut, but in a good way. I will hopefully find more inspiration to write, especially since it's looking like it's gonna rain here for the next month or so. 
> 
> I'm not thrilled about this chapter, but I'm also sick of looking at it. That being said, please let me know of any spelling errors, character errors, or awkward wording. Leave a comment letting me know what you think!

The days passed fairly quickly after that, Bilbo quickly learning everything he needed to know to manage the store for a few months. The movers had come the day after Frodo and Bilbo arrived, quickly filling up the small apartment space with their meager belongings. Bilbo had bought Frodo a new bed, keeping the couch in the living area. Frodo had quickly unpacked his books and filled his bookshelves. 

Over the next few days when Bilbo wasn’t learning at the store, he and Frodo explored the town. They ate a few times at Barney’s Restaurant before finally finding time to fill their pantry and fridge. 

The town was an interesting mix of shops with an old history, like Gandalf’s bookshop, and newer businesses. Bilbo found that Dave Miller imported some of the best teas he had ever tasted, while also serving some of the best wine as well. Bilbo wasn’t sure how, exactly, the tea and wine shop got started, but Dave said it had been the best business decision he had. 

It was during a visit to Dave’s shop that Bilbo met probably the most respected, and definitely the most feared man in town. 

Dave had graciously given Frodo a sample of a fruity iced tea on a particularly hot day while he and Bilbo talked about tea over a cup of chamomile. In the back, Dave’s assistant Terrwyn, was taking inventory of the back room, the door propped open to allow air circulation. The breeze from the fans often blew wispy strands of reddish brown hair into her face. 

Dave and Bilbo had surprisingly common tastes in tea and started out discussing the different blends and flavors, though somehow the conversation turned to stories of their young charges, with Dave talking about Oliver’s studies and Bilbo laughing over Frodo’s antics. 

“Oh come on Uncle,” Frodo complained after Bilbo finished a tale. “It wasn’t that bad.” 

“You stealing our neighbor’s pies that she left on the windowsill is definitely funny,” Bilbo chuckled. “Especially when she figured out it was you doing it and left out a fake pie instead.” Bilbo started laughing again in earnest. “Your face.”

Frodo huffed. “But that’s not as funny as some of the stories Dad used to tell.”

Bilbo paused in his laughter. “Oh? And what stories were those.”

“Like the time you rolled grandfather’s wine barrels into the river.” Frodo giggled, as this was one of his favorite stories. “Dad at least could stop the barrel before it went in, but he said you rode the barrel till it nearly reached the other end of town.”

“Ah yes... that story.”

Dave was chuckling into his tea. “Sounds like quite the adventure.”

“Yep!” Frodo grinned. “Dad would call Uncle Bilbo ‘Barrel Rider’ every time Uncle would do something adventurous.”

“Barrel Rider?” A different voice questioned, startling all of them out of their laughter.

It was a cold, strong voice, deep and raspy. Frodo immediately turned around and backed up so he could lean into his uncle.

Bilbo looked up and saw a tall man, a dark black suit covering a thin frame. His dark eyes seemed to glow gold with their own light force, and his hair shown in the sun from the windows, turning the thick locks a golden color. 

A sound beside him had Bilbo turning to Dave, who had dropped his teacup in shock. Terrwyn immediately came out with a broom and dustpan for the mess, though as soon as she saw the man in the doorway, she backed up quickly and closed the door to the backroom. 

“M-Mr. Aurelius,” Dave stuttered. “Wasn’t expecting you for another day or two.”

“Thought I would come in and collect my payment in person.” The man spoke slowly, savoring every syllable. “And too see how your...charming shop is faring.”

“Business is quite well.” Dave spoke sharply. “If you’ll just give me a few moments, I can gather your payment from the back.” He rushed off to the backroom, clearly eager to get rid of the man. 

The man turned his attention to Bilbo. “And who are you, Barrel Rider?”

“.... I am Bilbo Baggins.” Bilbo hesitated to speak, so disturbed by the man. “And this is my nephew, Frodo.”

“Ah.... yes. Bilbo Baggins. I’ve heard rumors that Gandalf would be leaving his shop in your care while he was away. Pity, I was so hoping to acquire the property.”

“I don’t think he’s looking into selling.”

“No, he never is.” The man sighed deeply, and Bilbo thought he could see smoke exhaling from the man’s mouth, though it must have been a trick of the afternoon light. “It would be so lovely to own the rest of the block though.”

“Here it is!” Dave returned, brandishing a tight wad of cash. “This month’s and next months.”

“Business has been very profitable then.” Mr. Aurelius raised an eyebrow, “I may need to start checking into raising the rent.”

Dave bristled. “I just thought I’d give you what I owed you for a few months, just so I didn’t forget and make you come all the way out here.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.” 

Bilbo thought he didn’t look very understanding at all.

The man left, leaving behind one slightly frightened boy, a very frazzled business owner, and a puzzled Bilbo.

“Who was that?” Bilbo wondered.

“Drake Aurelius.” Dave spat. “He owns half the town, and the other half fears him. He’s been here since anyone can remember, always threatening to raise the rent on the building’s he owns. And if anyone ever tries to move buildings, he’ll fly in and snatch up any vacant ones, just to spite everyone.”

“But he doesn’t own Gandalf’s shop?”

“No, and thank your lucky stars for that.” Dave shook his head. “Gandalf owns that shop and the entire building outright. I think he always has. Drake’s been trying to buy it off of him for years, but Gandalf won’t budge. Probably the reason he keeps the shop open so Drake can’t say that it’s underused property or somewhat to persuade Mayor Blake to force Gandalf to sell. Gandalf and the mayor are old friends I think, but lately, Drake and the mayor have been all buddy-buddy.” Dave rolled his eyes and raised the teapot. “Another glass, Mr. Baggins? I could use a cup after that encounter.”

“Oh, please. And it’s just Bilbo.” Bilbo raised his cup as Dave refilled it. He also refilled Frodo’s glass. “Why doesn’t everyone just leave town if they don’t like Mr. Aurelius?”

“This is our home, Bilbo.” Dave stated simply, wiping up the tea he had spilled earlier. “Where would we go?” 

Bilbo didn’t have an answer. 

\---

Frodo continued to read the book he had found, finding odd hours away from his uncle to explore its pages and drawings and maps. He had been shocked to make the second discovery of Gandalf’s name, along with another exact likeness in the story. Book Gandalf was a wizard, though he was every bit as clever as the bookshop owner Frodo had come to know. 

Currently he was reading while Gandalf and Bilbo handled some customers downstairs. Gandalf would be leaving the next morning, so Uncle Bilbo was taking advantage of this last day with him to make sure he understood everything. Frodo took the time to read his book, looking for more clues as to why likenesses of his uncle and Gandalf were featured in this tale. He laughed loudly as he read the chapter where Hobbit Bilbo and Wizard Gandalf outsmarted a trio of trolls. 

“Ah, what chapter are you on?”

Frodo jumped the book sliding out of his lap and landing on the page with a drawing of half of the dwarves tied up over the open fire while the other half and Hobbit Bilbo wriggled in the sacks. 

Behind him Gandalf chuckled. “I did not mean to startle you.” He glanced down at the book as Frodo picked it up. “Ah yes, the trolls. That was always Bilbo’s favorite story to tell.”

Frodo furrowed his brow. “Did Uncle read this too?”

“Ah. Not exactly.” Gandalf looked at him.

Frodo was even more confused. “Then how--”

Frodo was interrupted by a call downstairs from his Uncle, asking him to come down. 

Frodo looked back down at the book, before closing it and running back to his room to hide it behind his bookcase. when he came back out he looked up at Gandalf, who was regarding him with an expression Frodo couldn’t quite identify. Wistful perhaps? Or just....sad.

Gandalf nodded towards his room. “We’ll keep that a secret between us for now, ok?” He winked.

Frodo smiled and nodded before running downstairs to his Uncle.

Bilbo was waving goodbye to a man who was just leaving the store, several books in his arms. The man was wearing a uniform like a police officer, but khaki colored. On his chest was a star shaped badge. His wavy black hair was short and he sported a goatee and what Frodo could only describe as a kind smile. The bell rang as the door closed behind the man and he climbed into a police car.

“Who was that?” Frodo asked.

“Sheriff Bard O’Dale. We were just discussing you. He has a daughter about your age, so I was suggesting some summer reading for her.”

“Oh.”

Bilbo grinned. “He also suggested taking you to visit Bobby’s toy shop. Apparently it's one of his children’s favorite stores in town.” He walked out from behind the counter. “Gandalf agreed to watch the store for a bit while I take you, I’m afraid we may not have a lot more time to go visit together while I get a hang of managing the store on my own.”

Gandalf waved towards the door. “Go ahead now. I’m sure Bobby is looking forward to your visit.”

Frodo grinned and raced out the door, his uncle not far behind. They had discovered early on that most places in town were within walkable distance, including the toy shop just around the corner. 

The shop had wind chimes that rang loudly when Frodo entered. He nearly stopped dead in his tracks with what he saw. Only the slight nudge from his uncle kept him moving into the store.

Everywhere he looked there were toys moving, buzzing, hopping, or just making noise. Lights flashed, blinked, and whirled. Every color was represented in the paint, from the palest pink to the deepest purple. 

Frodo loved it. He smiled and began to look around, darting from one toy to the next trying to figure out what they all did. 

Distantly he heard Bilbo talking with someone, probably Bobby about him and the shop and everything in the shop, but Frodo wasn’t paying that close attention. 

He was studying the toy train tracks, watching the engines and their little cars zoom in and out of tunnels and over bridges when something else caught his eye. He turned his head and found a shelf full of little wooden figurines. 

It was their lack of movement or other mechanical component that really caught Frodo’s interest. In a shop that was constantly moving, these figurines stayed perfectly still, almost old fashioned, but no less charming. 

They appeared to be hand carved though unpainted and depicted all of different kinds of people. Frodo looked closer and found that some of them weren’t people at all, but rather other kinds of species. Some figurines were taller than the rest, with pointy ears and long straight hair. Frodo figured these were meant to be elves. Others were slightly shorter than the elves with rounded ears and wavy hair, which were probably meant to be humans. 

Another bunch made Frodo laugh with how life-like they were. Shorter than the humans, these must have been dwarves, with rounded ears, stocky frames and long beards and hair. Each face was clearly given much more care in carving than the elves or humans, and each was outfitted with several choices of weapons. Frodo picked one up that had a long beard, helmet and was brandishing an axe. He looked at it closely, half expecting it to come to life. It stayed silent though. The face on the dwarf was one that looked familiar, but Frodo couldn’t quite place it. 

He went to put it back on the shelf when another figure caught his eye. On the shelf below the people figurines were several figurines of other creatures, perhaps goblins and trolls, and another type of humanoid creature Frodo wasn’t sure how to describe. They surrounded a large, towering figuring of a dragon protecting a mound of gold and jewels. The dragon’s eyes were the only things painted in the whole set, a glittering gold color that seemed to radiate it’s only light source. 

“It looks like Mr. Aurelius.” Frodo murmured to himself. The frightening man that had come into Mr. Dave’s shop had left Frodo feeling shaken, and as such he made it a point to remember him. 

“What was that Frodo?”

Bilbo and Bobby had come to see what had captivated Frodo’s attention. 

“The dragon. He just... reminds me of Mr. Aurelius.” Frodo mumbled, knowing that saying a fire breathing dragon reminded him of a real life person probably wasn’t very kind. 

But Bobby laughed, “Ah yes, I’m fairly certain Briar had that old bastard in mind when he carved that creature.”

“Bobby! Language!” Bilbo scolded.

“Oh please Uncle, I’ve heard you say a lot worse.” Frodo smiled but Bilbo didn’t look placated. Instead his uncle just sighed. 

“Your cousin made these?” Bilbo asked Bobby. 

“Oh yes,” Bobby nodded his head. “It calms him a bit I think. He really likes carving those smaller ones. Dwarves I think. But sometimes he’ll get sad doing so, and start to carve some of the others. He shook and had to take frequent breaks when carving that dragon, and I tried to get him to stop if it was causing him to panic, but he was insistent on finishing. Though he’s never made another.” 

“The dwarves are all different. And are the taller ones elves?” Frodo asked. 

“I think so.”

“And what are these.” Frodo pointed to one of the less friendly creatures that had puzzled him earlier. 

“I’m not completely sure, but on one of the few occasions I’ve heard Briar talk about them, I think he’s calling them orcs.”

“Orcs?” That sounded familiar to Frodo, and with a start, he realized that it was the name of the some of the bad guys in his book. 

“Strange name, I know,” Bobby picked up one of the dwarves and smiled at it, before putting it with the others. “He carves them off and on, but no one ever really buys them. They’re all distracted by the moving and noisy toys, no one pays attention to the quiet ones. But I keep them here all the same cause Briar made them.” 

Frodo nodded and picked up one of the dwarves. He, for Frodo could only assume it was a he, had long slightly wavy hair, and, unlike the other dwarves whose beards were long and braided, this one sported a short beard. His nose was a prominent facial feature, but didn’t completely take over the fierce expression. In the figurines hand was a long sword, curved on one side, with the matching scabbard strapped to the dwarf’s back. Though most of his clothing was indistinguishable, the figure's coat was clearly lined in fur, covering what Frodo assumed was a tunic, or perhaps armor. 

“Do you want that one, Frodo?” Bilbo prodded.

Frodo nodded, not saying anything but continuing to study the figurine in his hand. 

They all walked up to the front counter and Bobby rang the purchase through. 

There was a soft grunt as Frodo’s side and turning, he was a bit surprised to find Briar. The older man was holding something out to Frodo, and when he held out his hand, a second figurine was placed in it.

This one was a bit smaller than the dwarf Bilbo just purchased. Its large feet were bare, with a patch of curly hair that matched the same curly hair on the figure's head. There was a short sword in one hand, the other clutching the strap of a pack. Its expression appeared to be a mixture of fear and determination. Looking up from the face at his uncle Frodo had to smile. “Look Uncle! It’s you!”

Bilbo chuckled. “Don’t be silly. My feet are nowhere near that large or hairy.”

Frodo tried to give the figurine back to Briar, but he wouldn’t take it, just held his hands at his side and shook his head.

“Think he wants you to have it.” Bobby observed. “Consider it a gift.”

Frodo nodded at Bobby in thanks, and then looked at Briar. “Thank you, Mr. Briar!” 

Briar smiled, clearly unused to the expression, before walking away. Bobby passed Bilbo the other dwarf figurine, who then handed it to Frodo. 

As they walked out of the store, Frodo studied both figurines in his hands. They were clearly different, but they seemed to belong together.

“Briar didn’t give us a name for that figurine he gave you. What are you gonna call it?” Uncle Bilbo asked, putting an arm around Frodo's shoulders to steer him away from the edge of the sidewalk.

Frodo continued to study the figurines, wondering if Mr. Briar had read the red book currently sitting in his room. The smaller figure looked so like his uncle, who in turn looked like the Hobbit from the story. A squeeze on his shoulder reminded him that Uncle had asked a question.“....His name is Mr. Hobbit. From the Shire” 

\---

Gandalf made his goodbyes early the next morning, promising to return in a month or two to check in. Bilbo and Frodo waved from the entrance of the bookshop, before they went back in to start their day. Frodo went upstairs to finish the chapter in his book, Bilbo started by opening the register and pulling out a blank journal, intent on writing his book. 

He worried a bit about Frodo, upstairs in his room alone, but he also remembered that they hadn’t been in the town long, and they hadn’t seen many kids Frodo’s age quite yet. He glanced at the park that was right across the street and resolved to take the young lad to it at some point during the weekend. 

The day passed fairly quickly, with Frodo taking the time to put together delicious, if a little lopsided, sandwiches for Bilbo and himself for lunch. Inbetween sparse customers, Bilbo wrote in his book, the change of scenery and jobs helping him find the motivation to write. Soon he had more written in a single afternoon, than he had in the previous month. 

His cell chimed, and he realized it was closing time. Bilbo began to go through the closing procedures, consulting his handwritten notes when needed. Just as he locked the door and turned around, he heard knocking.

Sighing, he turned around and saw one of the young men from the restaurant, Kyle, he thought, banging frantically at the door. 

“We’re closed!” Bilbo shouted through the door.

“Help!” Kyle shouted back.

Bilbo sighed but opened the door. Kyle quickly pushed through as soon as he was able. 

“Please you got to help Phil and me! We were walking our mum’s dogs, but they're so small. They must have heard something or an animal got their attention but they pulled their collars and leashes off and ran towards this part of town. Have you seen them?!”

Bilbo shook his head. “No sorry.... Do you think they could have gotten lost in town?”

Kyle shook his head, clearly agitated, “No, I don’t think so, but Phil’s gone to ask Barney’s if he’s seen them. I thought they were headed towards the old bridge in the woods.”

Bilbo sighed. The boy looked so panicked, that Bilbo couldn't turn him away. “Come upstairs and let’s get a bit of a snack. I’m no use to anyone hungry. Then we’ll meet up with your brother and go into the woods to look for them.”

Kyle nodded and Bilbo locked up the shop again. Kyle followed Bilbo up the stairs to the apartment, smiling a little dejectedly at Frodo at the younger one’s eager greeting. 

“I’m just gonna grab a bite and then I have to go out with Kyle to find his lost dogs.” Bilbo explained to Frodo as he grabbed a few granola bars an apple and a bottle of water from the fridge, stuffing all of it into his pockets. 

“Can I come?” 

Bilbo looked out towards the darkening sky. “No... I don’t think it’s a good idea, though if you would, keep an eye out the window in case you see either of them dart by. You have my number to let us know.”

“Yes, Uncle Bilbo.”

Bilbo gave him a hug, and then nodded at Kyle. They left out the back, taking Bilbo’s car to meet up with Philip at Barney’s restaurant. 

When they got there, Philip had company.

Thorn was waiting with the young blond man, looking as agitated as the last time Bilbo had seen him. He wore a thick coat today, which was a bit odd in the warmer weather. Philip himself had on just a blue t-shirt and jeans. A another trio of men stood near the door of the restaurant talking among themselves.

Bilbo pulled up next to them and unlocked the doors, allowing them to crawl into the back seat. Philip crawled in first, while Thorn turned to talk to a trio that Bilbo realized were the Miller brothers. 

“Barney hasn’t seen them, but Dave, Nick and Oliver are going to search in town.” Philip explained quickly. 

“Why did you tell Uncle Thorn, Phil?”

“It’s not exactly like I had a choice, Ky,” Philip grumbled. “When I got there he overheard me explaining the situation to Barney. He insisted he come along.”

Kyle didn’t look pleased. 

“I didn’t realize he was your uncle.” Bilbo interrupted before the boys could start arguing.

“He’s not exactly our Uncle.” Kyle explained.

“But we’ve known him forever. We just started to call him uncle anyway.” Philip added. “He’s always been our inspiration.”

“He really didn’t like it at first, insisted that we shouldn’t look up to him.” Kyle said. 

“And you really shouldn’t.” A deeper voice interjected.

Bilbo turned to find Thorn crawling into the seat behind his own, looking extremely cramped in the small quarters. 

“The old bridge is near the outskirts of town,” Thorn stated, clearly as an end to that conversation. 

Bilbo drove through town, taking the Bridge road. They passed an old sign that stated “Toll Bridge Ahead” though some vandal had cleverly inserted an “r” so the sign now read “Troll Bridge.” After the sign, Thorn suggested they pull over now and split up to cover more area. 

Bilbo pulled the car to the side of the road and put his flashers on. Kyle and Philip eagerly insisted that they would take one side of the woods while Thorn and Bilbo would canvass the other. They made plans to meet back at the car within an hour and a half, dogs or no dogs.

As Philip and Kyle ran off, Bilbo watched as Thorn’s stern expression softened into fondness.

“They are gonna look up to you and love you like an uncle, whether you want them to or not.” Bilbo voiced softly. 

Thorn huffed and grunted out something that neither agreed nor disagreed, but didn’t look at him. “It’d be safer for both of them and their mother if they just ignored me.” The taller man marched off towards the woods. 

A curious statement, but Bilbo had a feeling he wouldn’t get any answers if he asked about it. Instead he ran to catch up with Thorn, his chest heaving slightly at the short jog. He really needed to start walking around town in the evenings. Guess this was as good a start as any. 

“I never asked, what are the dogs names?”

“Myrtle and Minty,” Thorn stated. 

Bilbo smiled. “Nice plant names.”

“Their mother was attempting gardening at the time she adopted them.” Thorn chuckled softly. “Her gardening attempts failed miserably, but the dogs survived.”

Bilbo smiled. Thorn’s laugh was nice. 

They made their way through the woods, calling for Myrtle and Minty as they went. In the distance they heard Kyle and Philip calling for the dogs, their calls getting fainter as they moved farther away. Thorn looked pained at the thought of the two getting farther away from the car and the road. 

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Bilbo tried to be reasonable when they could no longer here the younger pair’s calls. 

“I know that,” Thorn grumbled, clearly unsettled. “They’ve always managed to stay out of too much trouble as long as they are together.”

“That’s surprising,” Bilbo muttered, mostly to himself but it clearly caught Thorn’s attention and he hastened to explain. “They seem a bit mischievous.”

“Yes, they did get into their pranks when they were younger. They’ve mellowed out with age, though Kyle can still pull Philip into some trouble now and again. But they’ve always had each other’s backs, which has more often than not pulled them out of trouble rather than in it.”

“I see.” Bilbo said, then paused in thought. “Actually I don’t... not really. I’ve never had a sibling. Though given the nickname my parents gave me I shudder to think of what they would have come up with next.”

“What nickname is that?”

“Why ‘Bilbo,’ of course!” Bilbo smiled. “Surely, you didn’t think that was my given name.”

Thorn rolled his eyes. “It’s all any of the “town gossips” as you like to say, call you.”

“I think that’s all Gandalf knows me by,” Bilbo admitted. “But no... my given name is William Robert... They just shortened ‘Bill’ and ‘Bob’ to get ‘Bilbo.’ It just stuck as I got older and I never had a reason to change it. My cousin had a similar idea when they had Frodo and ended up with ‘Frederick Otto.’ Shortening it to Frodo seemed more like a mercy than a punishment.”

Thorn stared at him, unblinking. “You’re right, your family has terrible taste in names.”

Bilbo laughed loudly. “Oh and ‘Thorn’ is so much better?” His chuckles died off when he saw the taller man’s blank expression. “Th-” He was cut off by a hand in front of his face, Thorn turning towards a group of trees. 

Bilbo silenced immediately, listening for whatever Thorn had heard. It wasn’t long before the sound of someone sneezing came from somewhere ahead of them. 

As they crept closer, Bilbo realized that they were practically underneath the old bridge. Just up ahead was a flickering light, a fire perhaps, and the sounds of dogs whimpering.

They had found Myrtle and Minty. And the dogs weren’t alone. They were tied up to a tall tree with a long, crude rope wrapped around their necks as a sort of collar. Three men stood guarding them. The men were tall, taller than even Thorn, and wore what Bilbo assumed were once jeans and sweatshirts. They were all bald with one, clearly the one who sneezed, clutching a ratty handkerchief to his nose. They appeared to be arguing. 

“I say we just eat them.” One said.

“We can’t. You heard what the boss said.” Another replied

“But I’m so hungry, Bert,” a third whined.

“What on earth?” Bilbo wondered aloud, though he mainly kept it to a whisper. “They....they really aren’t planning on eating those poor dogs are they?” He looked up at Thorn for reassurance, but Thorn just frowned grimly. 

“We can't!” the second one, the one the others called Bert, roared. “The Boss said we needed to act human-y here and humans don’t eat these small wolves.”

“I can see why not,” the stuffy, sick one complained. “Not enough fat on them. They must not feed them enough.”

“I’m so hungry though. Can’t we at least try to cook em. It’s not like the Boss is gonna know.” The other argued. 

‘Acting human-y,’ Bilbo shuddered. Clearly these men must have been out of their minds. 

The first one, Bert, seemed to give a little. “Maybe one.” He went over to cut loose one of the dogs. The other barked loudly and tried to bite the man’s leg, but the man just kicked her off. She landed safely on the ground, dazed but moving. The other whimpered as the large man dragged her to the fire.

Bilbo couldn’t let that stand at all. Without glancing back at Thorn, he made his way to the fire. “You are making a terrible mistake!” He shouted, with no real plan.

His appearance was a shock enough to give the three men pause, but they recovered more quickly than Bilbo was able to come up with a strategy. 

“Oh... and what mistake is that?” The first one grumbled.

“You... You can’t eat those dogs,” Bilbo asserted. “They’re somebody’s pets.”

“So?” three voiced echoed, genuinely confused by this argument.

“So... so....” Bilbo scrambled for an idea. He had no idea where Thorn was at but he hadn’t noticed any reaction from the tree line behind him, so he determined that the other man must have gone elsewhere. Hopefully to get help. Bilbo was on his own for the moment. “So... You can’t eat them because they.... got fleas!”

“Eugh!” Bert shouted, dropping the dog. She landed safely on her feet and scampered off towards the trees. Bilbo glanced around the fire and found that the other one had gone as well. That explained what Thorn was up to then, though it would have been nice to get some assistance now.

“That’s right!” Bilbo shouted, hoping to keep the three men focused on him so they didn’t realize their ‘prey’ had vanished. “They are just riddled with fleas. You may feel a bit scratchy, some spots may be red or irritated. You might be sneezing a bit?”

The sneezy one looked thoughtful.... or gassy. Bilbo wasn’t sure but he kept going. “It’s an awful mess. I wouldn’t risk it, I really wouldn’t.” He shook his head to emphasize his point. 

“Oh...and what do you suggest we do then? Let them go?!”

“Well...” Bilbo trailed off. 

“Too late, Bert!” one shouted, “They’re already gone!” 

Bert rounded on Bilbo. “So that’s your plan then. Taking us for fools while the dogs make their own escape!” He raised his fist and Bilbo tensed, waiting for the punch.

It never came as Thorn burst through the tree line with a yell, launching himself at Bert and quickly blocking the punch that was meant for Bilbo. He kicked Bert in the chest, which disoriented him for a moment, but he quickly recovered, along with the other two. 

Though they were slow, they were much, much bigger than Bilbo or Thorn. Thorn used that to his advantage, quickly ducking under overreaching punches and kicking shins and kneecaps. Bilbo did his best to help, though that mostly meant staying out of the way and dodging wayward fists. He had just landed what he thought was a rather good kick to Bert’s knee, if he was to judge by the squeal the larger man let out, when sudden thunk on the back of his head sent him sprawling to the ground.

“Bilbo!” Thorn’s voice shouted. Bilbo managed to catch himself on his hands, wincing as pain shot up through his wrists and through his head from where a large hand or an elbow must have hit. 

The three large men had taken Thorn’s moment of distraction to circle the two. Bilbo picked himself off the ground, turning his wrists but not feeling that anything was broken or sprained. Thorn had gotten close to him to fend off any more punches. 

“What do you suggest we do now?” Bert taunted.

“You sh-...” Bilbo stuttered, both fear and pain making his thoughts slow to form. He felt more frightened than had ever been since he was very small and scared of the shadows in his nursery. “You should all just-”

“FREEZE!” A different voice shouted. 

A man burst through the clearing, gun drawn. It took Bilbo a moment to recognize the man out of his uniform, but it was Sheriff O’Dale. 

To the three overly large men, Bard’s sudden appearance seemed to shock them all into turning to stone, for they all stopped moving mid-motion. The sneazy one looked as if he was holding back another sneeze through sheer force alone. 

A hand on his shoulder alerted Bilbo to Thorn’s presence behind him. “The dogs are safe through the trees, there. Thank you for your distraction.” He walked back through the trees, probably intent on retrieving the dogs before something else could happen to them.

“I just didn’t want them to get hurt.” Bilbo muttered, but he followed Thorn to a tree that had two dogs lying underneath it. For all the mischief the dogs had caused recently, now they appeared to be very well-behaved for Thorn. Now that the immediate danger had passed, Bilbo could get a good look at them. 

They were small; much smaller than Bilbo somehow imagined them, with brown and white thick wavy hair and jovial expressions on their faces. 

One of them barked at Thorn’s reappearance and eagerly bounded up to meet him. Thorn easily picked up the dog and held it close while the other sniffed at Bilbo’s feet, curious. Bilbo leaned down and held out his hand. The dog took a quick sniff before jumping up on Bilbo’s legs, eager to be picked up like her sister. 

Bilbo conceded to the dog’s wishes. “Hello there....”

“You’ve got Myrtle. And this is Minty.” Thorn rubbed the other dog’s ears. The dogs were nearly identical, but Minty’s ears were white, while her sister’s were brown. 

Bilbo grinned, ruffling Myrtle’s brown ears, and got a few licks in return. 

“Myrtle! Minty!” Kyle’s joyful voice echoed through the forest. 

“You found them!” Philip called. 

Bilbo looked up to find the two young men sprinting towards them. Bilbo half worried that they would trip over a root in the dense forest, but they seemed sure of their footing as they ran closer. 

The two dogs started wiggling uncontrollably at the boys’ voices, yipping and barking excitedly. As soon as the boys got close enough, Philip scooped Minty out of Thorn’s arms while Kyle quickly gathered Myrtle from Bilbo’s.

“Why did you run off like that!?” Philip scolded the dogs, though he only got several slobbery kisses from Minty for his effort to be stern. He caved quickly. Kyle didn’t even bother trying to be angry at the dogs, merely cuddled Myrtle and gave her own head several kisses. 

“This probably had something to do with it.” 

Sheriff’s O’Dale’s voice came from slightly behind them, Bilbo turned around and saw Bard holding up a small cylindrical tube, with a hole on one side. 

“A dog whistle?” Thorn questioned.

Bard nodded. “Apparently they wanted to lure the dogs here, though they haven't been forthcoming as to why. At least for now.” Bard shrugged. “The dogs are alright though?”

Kyle nodded but furrowed his brow. “Wait... someone was trying to dog-nap them?”

“Take them back to Bilbo’s car and get in. We’ll explain on the way back,” Thorn all but pushed Kyle and Philip back towards the road. The two boys looked at each other, then at Thorn’s stern expression and took off in that direction.

Bard watched them go. “Actually your car is the reason I stopped to begin with. I thought someone was having road problems, but then I heard Bilbo’s shouting and my partner and I came to investigate. She’s getting those three back to the squad car. We’ll get answers from them eventually.”

“Thank you.” Thorn was short, again showing the same agitation as he did when Kyle and Philip were out of earshot. “We’ll let you know if anything else happens to the dogs.”

Bard nodded and let them leave, following Kyle and Philip’s path through the forest. 

They boys, young as they were, could walk much farther and faster than Bilbo and Thorn and were therefore far out of earshot by the time the older men got to the tree line. Thorn was still uneasy, despite the discovery of the dogs unharmed.

“Thorn?” Bilbo questioned, walking behind Thorn and observing his tense shoulders and attempting to help ease him. “The dogs are alright you know. I’m sure Bard won’t let those men out to hurt them or anything.”

“It’s not the dogs I’m worried about.” Thorn grumbled. He sped up suddenly, and Bilbo had to jog to catch up. “It’s Philip and Kyle.”

“Will their mom be mad they lost the dogs?”

“Hmph, no. Philip called her from the restaurant and she already shouted at him. I could hear her through the phone.” Thorn takes a deep breath and resumes walking at a slower pace. “But I did all this to protect them.” 

The last part was said so quietly, that Bilbo wasn’t sure whether he should respond. Curiosity finally got the best of him though and he ventured a hesitant query in an effort to get Thorn to explain. 

“Who are you protecting?” He hazards a look up to Thorn’s face, though he couldn’t quite meet his eyes. 

Thorn seems torn, not meeting Bilbo’s eyes either. “It’s nothing... really.”

“Is it Philip and Kyle? Is someone after them?” Bilbo prodded further, though he knew it wasn’t his place. Thorn stopped sharply and Bilbo hurried to apologize. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything. It really isn’t my business anyway!” He tried to continue to the car but a sudden warmth around his wrist and a sharp tug stopped him in his tracks. 

Bilbo glanced up into piercing blue eyes, but didn’t say anything. Instead he turned so his whole body faced Thorn, gently twisting his hand so it clasped Thorn’s wrist in turn. Thorn’s eyes were staring at his, but rather than the glare Bilbo had first met head on when he first met the taller man, this look was soft and searching. The moment barely lasted a second but Thorn let go of Bilbo’s wrist, Bilbo doing the same

Thorn seemed to find whatever he was looking for in Bilbo, for he resumed walking towards the car. “You are correct, Mr. Baggins. My actions are forever in favor of protecting Philip and Kyle. You see, they act like my nephews because....” He trailed off and Bilbo wasn’t sure he was going to continue. But another deep breath seemed to steal his resolve. “They are my nephews. In blood as well as name.”

Bilbo felt his breath hitch, and his eyebrows shot up in some surprise. “What? But Philip said-”

“I know. They only know me as a family friend. That’s what my sister and I told them nearly 15 years ago.” As Thorn’s secret was now out, it seemed he couldn’t hold much back. “We thought to protect them.”

“Protect them from what? From what a great uncle you are?”

“You think I’m great?” Bilbo saw Thorn’s cheeks turn red from under his scruffy beard. 

Bilbo felt his cheeks redden and he adverted his gaze, looking at Thorn’s shoes rather than his face. “I mean. I’ve only really seen you interact with them tonight, but the way you took care in picking out Philip’s books and listening to Kyle about what his brother really wanted. I think that shows that you care for them. And clearly that love is returned.” He felt his cheeks lose some of their heat and he braved looking into Thorn’s face again.

Thorn was smiling that gentle, blooming smile that he first expressed in the bookstore. Bilbo felt his own lips curling into a smile in return. 

“Thank you.” Thorn mumbled, “That means a lot coming from a great uncle like yourself.”

“Oh. Well... I try.” Bilbo chuckled. “But don’t think you can talk your way out of my question. What are you protecting those boys from?”

Instead of answering, Thorn turned back to the car and started walking. Bilbo hurried to catch up, not pressing for an answer. When they nearly reached the car, Thorn grabbed Bilbo’s hand before he reached into his pocket for his keys. Despite the urgency of the gesture, Bilbo could only register how warm Thorn’s hand was, and how big compared to his own. The heat engulfed his own small hand, and Bilbo felt his whole body warm from that small point of contact.

“Not here,” Thorn whispered, looking towards the car where Philip and Kyle were playing with the dogs and leaning against the trunk. “Can I come by your shop tomorrow? I’ll explain. I promise.”

Bilbo sighed. “Bring lunch and it’s a date.” Then he realized what his mouth had spoken. “I mean...not a date but a... meeting.” He dared to gaze up at Thorn and realized the other man was grinning. 

“I’ll manage to scrounge up something.” Thorn dropped his hand and Bilbo had to hold back a whine as all the warmth disappeared. 

Thorn gave him a small nod before climbing into the car. Bilbo smiled at the spot Thorn had been standing and was about to climb into the driver’s seat before a flash of movement caught his eye.

At the tree line, was a small shape, Bilbo could just make it out in the fading summer sun. But he could still see that the thing looked almost human, except it crouched on all fours like an animal. Despite the distance and the dimming light, the creature's eyes were still extremely visible. Large compared to the rest of the creature's body, they seemed to glow bright blue against the backdrop of the darkening trees. 

Bilbo blinked, and the creature was gone. 

“Bilbo?” Thorn’s voice came from inside the car. Bilbo shook his head, thinking that whatever he just saw may have just been nerves playing up after his brush with the dog-eating men in the woods. He gave Thorn what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and climbed in, quickly putting the car into gear. He only sped slightly on the roads home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Names:
> 
> Drake Aurelius: Smaug - The drake part is probably fairly obvious, Aurelius means gold or gilded. 
> 
> Sheriff Bard O'Dale: Bard Bowman - I have no explanation for his real world name other than I couldn't really find anything else that suited Bard other than Bard. It's Bard.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you mean it's been almost six months since I last posted? *laughs nervously* I didn't mean for that to happen, honest, but writer's block has been awful. But then... in true writer's block fashion... inspiration hit all at once and I managed to get a few chapters written or at least outlined out, so the next chapter, should... in theory... come soon. I hope...
> 
> Please leave any typos, grammatical errors, and words of encouragement in the comments. I promise I haven't given up on this story, and I recently regained my fire for writing it!

For the days that followed, Bilbo couldn’t get the image of that creature on the edge of the forest out of his head. It haunted Bilbo’s nightmares, images of that strange being haunting him in a dark cave and a hoarse voice shrieking “he stole it!” over and over. Bilbo always woke from those nightmares sweating and unable to fall back asleep. Instead he took his notebook to the kitchen table and made himself a cup of tea, writing until the sun rose and Frodo awoke.

After another particularly bad nightmare, this time involving answering riddles of all things, Bilbo chose to look out at the sunrise instead of his usual writing. Stirring his cup, he stared out the front window at the main street that ran through town. In the distance, he could spot the dimmed security lights of the auto shop Dand owned and Thorn worked at frequently.

Bilbo sighed again and took a sip of tea. 

Thorn had to cancel their meeting (not a date, definitely not a date) due to a sudden influx of work. Despite promises to reschedule he hadn’t made anything definitive yet. Not that Bilbo cared...that much. Though his curiosity was bursting, he reminded himself that in the end it wasn’t really his business and that Thorn may have just had a change of heart.

Still, Bilbo was disappointed as he felt like he was starting to befriend the strange, and occasionally rude, man.

Bilbo continued to stare out the window, mind drifting, till the sky lightened and Frodo was asking for breakfast. 

The restless nights meant sleepy days, but luckily, Gandalf was correct in the store being mostly quiet during the day. Bilbo worked on his book and rearranged the shelves into a system that worked better for him. He found that Gandalf probably had a secret love for myth and fantasy, given the number of books Bilbo found hiding on that subject alone. 

He was in the middle of rearranging yet another shelf of mythology when the chimes above the door rang and two children wandered in, followed by an older teenage girl. The two children immediately headed to the kid’s section, while the teenager looked around till her eyes met with Bilbo’s

“Pardon me, would it be possible to help me find a few books?” the teenager asked. She clutched a short piece of paper in her hand, clearly a list, 

“Of course, my dear. Summer reading list?” Bilbo smiled and took the list when it was offered.

The girl smiled back. “Yes. I start at Oxford College in Salisbury this August.”

“Really? Congratulations!” Her cheeks flushed at Bilbo’s enthusiasm but getting into the small but elite college was not a humble feat. “Seems like many of the recent graduates are starting at the community college this fall. Is it a sort of tradition to stay in the area after graduation?” Bilbo had located two of the books, and he handed them over while he searched for another two he knew he had in stock. 

The girl sighed behind him. “Sort of, but one of us has to break tradition eventually.” 

Conversation stalled as Bilbo concentrated on finding the last few books. The sound of books falling behind them had the girl running to the next aisle, calling out to the children. “Bain! Tilda! I told you no rough housing!”

“Bain started it!” the younger girl cried. 

“Did not! I told you I would give you the book when I was done looking at it!”

“Sissy! Bain being mean.” 

Bilbo suppressed a chuckle at the siblings fight. He never had a sibling himself, and at times like this he was a little happier about that. 

“Don’t listen to her, Sigrid! I did promise that I would give the book to her. She just doesn’t have patience.”

“Both of you pick up the books and then stand by the door till I’m done. Or else we are not going to the park at all today.”

Both children quickly picked up the books that had fallen. Bilbo then heard footsteps on the stairs and figured Frodo was coming down to investigate the commotion. 

“Uncle! Do you need help? Did something fa--?” He stopped as he realized Bilbo was with customers. 

“I’m fine, Frodo.” Bilbo reassured. “You can go back to your book.”

Frodo looked at him, then back at Bain and Tilda, the only two children Bilbo had seen thus far that were around Frodo’s age. The two had took up a post near the door, though Tilda was looking at Frodo in obvious curiosity. 

“You’re new!” she pointed at Frodo, which caused immediate admonishment from Sigrid. 

“Tilda! It’s rude to point.”

“I’m sorry.” Tilda pulled her hand to her side and smiled at Frodo. “What’s your name? I’m Tilda, and that’s my sister Sigrid, and this grumpy face is my brother Bain.”

“I’m not grumpy!” Bain protested.

“I’m Frodo.” Frodo looked at the ground, but his voice was clear enough. 

Tilda took a hesitant step away from the door, looking at her sister who was busy sorting through the books Bilbo brought her. Then she crept closer to Frodo. “Shh.. We’re supposed to be by the door, but I can’t hear you all the way over there.” She giggled. “I’m 11... And I’m starting the 6th grade next year. Are you gonna start school too?”

Frodo looked up at her then at Bilbo who nodded, pretty sure that his job at the store would more than likely extend into the school year. “Yeah.” the young boy perked up a bit. “I’m starting 6th grade too!”

“Hooray!” Tilda cheered. “We’ll be in the same class. Our school’s not that big so most of the grades only have one teacher.” She wrinkled her nose. “Which means I’ve been stuck with the same people since Kindergarten.” 

“Are they that bad?” Frodo questioned.

Tilda shrugged. “No...not terribly. But it gets to be a bit boring.” She grinned at him again. “You’ll be the most exciting thing to happen the whole class! And that includes the time Mickey and Peter got stuck in the tree!” 

“How do you get stuck in a tree?” Frodo questioned.

Bilbo smiled as the two young ones talked, turning his attention back to Sigrid, who appeared to be ready to make her purchases. 

“If you don’t mind putting the rest on hold?” she asked handing him about half the books on her reading list. “I can pay for them when I get more money from work.”

“Of course, my dear,” he rang up the rest of the books and put them in a bag. 

“Come on, you two. We’ll go to the park for a bit till Da gets off of work.”

“Can Frodo come too?” Tilda asked.

Sigrid looked at Frodo. “He’ll have to ask his Uncle if it’s ok.”

Frodo just turned pleading eyes at Bilbo, not that Bilbo had any attention of saying no.

“Are you sure he’ll be no trouble?” Bilbo questioned Sigrid, not wanting to add to her burden of watching over her own siblings.

Sigrid shrugged. “He can’t be worse than Tilda and Bain during a fight over the last pudding cup, and I’ll be reading on a bench right near the play equipment.”

Bilbo chuckled and nodded his assent, Frodo already gone rushing off to find his shoes. Together, the three siblings and his nephew headed for the park just across the street. As they were leaving, another woman held the door open for them, greeting the siblings as they left.

The woman then walked into the shop, brushing her dark curly brown hair off of her shoulders and moving her sunglasses to the top of her head. “I see the Bardlings seem to have grown in number!” she smiled at the retreating young ones.

“Bardlings? Is that their last name?” Bilbo asked, just now realizing he never caught the siblings’ family name. 

“Oh no. That’s just what I call them, on account that they followed Bard everywhere when they were young. Their mother died years ago and Sigrid was still much too little to watch her siblings on her own. So the Sheriff would bring them into work with him when he could and they’d sit at the desk coloring, or little Sigrid would try to help her dad file paperwork.” She smiled, seemingly lost in a memory. 

“You seem to know them well,” Bilbo commented. 

“Of course! It’s hard to miss them standing at your boss’s desk for most of the day!” She grinned again and held out her hand. “Deputy Helena Whitte.”

Bilbo took hers, noting that though the hands were as small as his, they were calloused and worn, but warm. “Bilbo Baggins.”

Helena nodded. “Bard mentioned you were there the night those men dognapped Deana’s little dogs. Sorry I didn’t check in with you then, but I was a bit busy getting those three to the car.”

Bilbo nodded. “Can I ask what happened to those men? They didn’t seem exactly stable.”

The woman furrowed her brow. “Strangest thing. Their bail was paid, but neither Bard nor I have managed to find out who bailed them out. The Mayor has made a personal promise that the men would show up in court on their appointed day, but that day keeps getting pushed back.”

“They must be some friends of the mayor’s to warrant such a promise,” Bilbo muttered, internally worried that such men were allowed to be out roaming with relative freedom. 

Helena seemed to pick up on his concern. “The Mayors a bit of a private sort of fellow, making all the proper appearances to remain mayor, I guess. Currently he’s away on some sort of vacation or somewhat, and he called in the official favor. But don’t you worry Mr. Baggins, Bard and I have been making daily runs by the house the men are currently staying at to make sure they don’t try to run out of town or something.” She then grinned. “Now then, gossip’s over. You got any new mystery novels in?” 

Bilbo eagerly accepted the change in topic and steared over over to the slowly expanding mystery section. He then backed off gently as Helena seemed to be settling in for a good while to pick out her purchases, crouching on the floor and reading the back of every book she pulled off the shelf. 

He lost himself in his reorganization until Helena purchased her selection. As she left, he glanced across the street to where three small figures were playing on the swings, while a fourth sat on the bench engrossed in a book. He smiled, glad that Frodo was making friends.

He turned and saw that in his hurry, Frodo had left behind the book he had been toting around all month. The worn pages with battered red binding was not the first book Bilbo thought Frodo would pick. He picked it up intent on on bringing it behind the counter for safe keeping. 

As he lifted it from the chair, a sudden feeling of familiarity extended from his hand, as if he had picked this book up hundreds of times before, and certainly not because Frodo had left it lying around. 

Staring at the cover in curiosity he brought it to the counter, and gently lifted the front cover.

_In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit._

“Good Afternoon?”

Bilbo jumped, slamming the cover shut and glanced up at his new guests. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t hear you come in!” He could feel his cheeks reddening though he knew he shouldn’t be so embarrassed. 

Linn Hart, a student at the community college student who had come in earlier in the week with a professor he assists at the school stood in the doorway, smiling uneasily. Behind him was another young man, tall like Linn. Unlike Linn, who had long,dark brown hair, the newcomer had shorter, light blond hair. Though clearly not brothers, Bilbo did wonder if they were related in some way, their features similar enough to be cousins perhaps. 

“This is my classmate, Lennox Alberich. We wanted to see if you had those books in yet. For Dr. Bolton’s class?”

“I haven’t gotten a new shipment in since yesterday.” He smiled though, to show he wasn’t annoyed by the query. “You seem pretty eager for classes to start.”

“Well... I-”

“Linn is the only one, I think, who is ever genuinely disappointed with a snow day.”

Linn huffed. “It’s a missed opportunity to learn and study. We have computers now, I don’t see why we can’t still have class over skype or something.”

Lennox sighed. “It’s been nearly seven years since you started college, aren’t you sick of learning yet?”

Linn shrugged. 

“What about another book to read in the meantime before classes start? I just found where Gandalf had been hiding the history section. I think there’s a pretty interesting book on historical warfare in there.”

Lennox eagerly rushed off though Linn lingered by the recently reorganized myth section. 

Another chime at the door had Bilbo turning away from his occupied customers to greet the new one, though this one was a familiar face.

“Sheriff O’Dale! Nice to see you again. Your children were in earlier, though I’m afraid I didn’t realize they were yours, so I didn’t get the chance to ask Tilda and Bain how they like the books.”

“Well, they seem to be enjoying them. Tilda surprisingly refuses to go to bed most nights without finishing a chapter, which is odd as she is not usually a reader.” Bard grinned.

“Oh...Hello, Sheriff Bard.” Linn’s voice was quiet, and he seemed to be talking to the books more than the man. “You cut your hair.”

Bard smiled gently at the younger man. “Yes, a few weeks ago. What do you think?”

Linn’s face flushed crimson and he looked Bard in the eyes. “It’s nice. I like it.” That last sentence was so quiet that Bilbo could have misheard if not for the way Linn’s face reddened further. He then made his way to the door, still not really looking Bard in the face. “Lennox! I’m waiting outside.”

“Yes yes.” Lennox muttered back distractedly. 

Linn then waved a quick goodbye and rushed out the door. 

That was interesting, Bilbo thought to himself. Bard didn’t seem to notice the younger man’s flustered departure and had instead turned back to Bilbo to continue talking about their respective children.

\---

Frodo laughed as he chased Tilda and Bain. Though the two were two years apart in age, they clearly didn’t let that stop them from playing together and had come up with a number of creative games for Frodo to join. He found that he was the best at HIde and Seek tag, running fast enough to catch the other two, and sneaky enough to hide long after the siblings found each other. 

Soon though, his stomach started rumbling, causing Tilda to giggle at how loud the noise was. 

“It’s almost dinner time. Maybe you can have dinner with us!”

Before Frodo could protest that he usually ate with his uncle, Tilda ran off. “Sigrid! Can Frodo have dinner with us?”

“You’ll have to ask Da, and Frodo’s Uncle.” Sigrid responded without looking up from her book.

Tilda sighed and looked across the street. “Well, let’s go ask them then.” She immediately began walking towards Istari books, which did indeed, have a sheriff’s patrol car outside of it. 

Sigrid looked up at her sister. “Tilda! Don’t go running off! And look both ways before crossing the street!” She hurriedly packed up her books and ran to catch up with her sister. Frodo and Bain caught up with them soon after.

As they crossed the street, Frodo noticed a tall brunet man leaning against the building, holding his head in his hands and seemed to be muttering to himself. Frodo just gave him curious glance before focusing on the door, nearly hitting his head as the door opened as soon as he reached for it. Another just as tall blond man looked shocked to see them standing there, an open book in his hand and a receipt in the other. 

The man shrugged apologetically and held the door open for Frodo and the O’Dale siblings to enter. As the door swung shut, Frodo heard the blond man call out, presumably to the other man leaning against the building.

“Are you just gonna stand there all day flustered and embarrassed?” the blond chuckled. 

“Shut up!” 

The door swung closed on the blonde’s laughter. 

Sheriff O’Dale was at the counter with Uncle Bilbo, seemingly discussing book, which wasn’t really all that surprising. Frodo wondered why Bilbo didn’t try to start up a book shop earlier, he seemed to enjoy it. 

“DA!” Tilda bounced on her father, wrapping both arms around him and hanging on. 

“Yes, good to see you too little one.” Bard responded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

She leaned into him and looked up, putting on what Frodo could tell was a well practiced and probably extremely effective pout. 

“Can Frodo have dinner with us?”

Bard grinned. “I don’t have a problem with it, but he’ll have to ask his Uncle.”

Tilda turned wide eyes to his uncle, “Pleeeeease, Mr. Bilbo?”

“Tilda,” Bard chuckled. “Frodo should ask his uncle.”

Frodo took the chance to speak up. “May I, Uncle?”

Bilbo smiled at him ready to give some sort of answer, but then a noise from his back pocket interrupted him. “Oh... Please give me just a second...” he picked up the phone “Bilbo Baggins.”

Tilda turned and winked at Frodo. “He’s gonna say yes. I can tell.” 

Frodo wasn’t as sure and was about to tell her but then Bilbo’s exclamation disrupted his thoughts. 

“You’re where, Thorn?!” Bilbo listened to the other end of the line for a minute longer. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe I can help you,” Bilbo then responded to whatever was said in a very familiar tone. Frodo recognized that voice as Bilbo’s “I’m not very impressed with you right now” voice. Frodo generally received that voice after liberating yet another pie from the neighbor. 

Bilbo listened for a moment longer before sighing. “I’ll see what I can do, but you definitely owe me dinner.” 

He hung up the phone and turned to Bard, “Are you sure you don’t mind if Frodo has dinner with you? It’s terribly rude of me to immediately take up that offer, but something’s come up and Thorn...” he trailed off. 

Bard just grimaced. “Well... at least I know Thorn’s not in the county jail, as I just came from there.”

“Is that a usual hang out for him?” Bilbo muttered.

“Technically, for Thorn Doran? No.” Bard “Do you need any help with him? He’s not one to make trouble in recent years but...”

Bilbo shook his head. “No, no thanks, I got it.”

Bard nodded, completely serious. “It’s not my place, and Thorn’s generally a good man, but I would warn you to not let him get you into trouble.” He made to smile again, though clearly, even to Frodo, his thoughts were troubled. “I can handle Frodo for tonight. We were having hot dogs anyway, so making one more won’t be a trouble.”

“More like two more,” Tilda piped up, “Frodo sounds really hungry.” 

As if on cue, Frodo’s stomach grumbled again. 

Bilbo still looked hesitant and Sheriff O’Dale waved a hand. “It’s alright Bilbo, the kids get along and it really will be no trouble. Now, go rescue Thorn from whatever he got himself into, before Helena or myself is called.”

Bilbo sighed, a sound Frodo was used to when their old neighbors did something particularly infuriating. “Very well.” He went over to the counter and picked up the red book Frodo just now realized he had left behind in his excitement to play. “Would you like to take this with you or put it upstairs?”

“I’ll take it with!” He grabbed it up and held it close. “Thank you, Uncle Bilbo!”

“Just be good, my boy.” 

“I will I promise!”

They stayed until Bilbo locked up, he and Bard exchanging numbers just in case, and headed for his car while Frodo and his new friends climbed into the back of Bard’s car, Sigrid sitting in the passenger seat. 

Dinner passed by relatively uneventfully, though Frodo surpassed all expectations and ended up eating three hot dogs. Afterwards he felt pleasantly full and quietly sat on the couch reading while they waited for a call from Bilbo. Sigrid joined him on the opposite end, while Tilda read comics on the floor. Bain was reluctantly cleaning the dishes and Bard was responding to a message on his phone.

Bain, finally freed himself from dish washing duty and came over and looked over Frodo’s shoulder, where the illustration depicted a man with a bow and arrow, with a fierce sky serpent flying overhead. “Is that a dragon?”

Frodo nodded. “Yeah, the bowman is trying to kill it so it stops destroying the town. “ 

Tilda wandered over. “Hey he looks a bit like Da!”

“Who the dragon?”

“No, stupid. The bowman.”

“Tilda, don’t call your brother stupid.” Bard called out wearily from his place reading the paper.

“But Da! He really does! Look!” She held out her hands, and Frodo reluctantly handed the book over, though she did pick it up with care and carried it over to her father.

“See! That’s you fighting the dragon! though.... I think the book you looks much grumpier.”

“He’s fighting a dragon Tilda. I don’t think he’d smile.” Sigrid spoke up. 

Frodo watched Bard, who was staring at the book first in curiosity, then in something resembling fear. Before Frodo could fathom much more from the expression, Bard was smiling again. “Must just be a similarity in good looks and fighting the evil forces of our towns.” He stood up, gently pushing Tilda in Frodo’s direction to pass the book back. “What do you say about getting ice cream, I’m sure Frodo hasn’t been to the great Ice Cream parlor in town.” 

“Ice Cream!” Bain and Tilda cheered. Even Sigrid put down her book, interested in a sweet treat. 

“I’m sure by the time were done, Bilbo will have called. He texted earlier saying that he would be later than intended.” Bard told Frodo, probably in an attempt to reassure him that his uncle hadn’t forgotten, which was silly, Uncle would have never forgotten Frodo. He just got held up.

Frodo nodded anyway, and packed up his book. Together, they walked down to the ice cream shop near by, Starlight Scoop. 

The bell made a pleasant chiming sound as they walked in and the most beautiful woman Frodo had ever seen (besides his mother of course) was behind the counter. Her long blond hair curled slightly, and her pale skin seemed to glow in the flourescent lighting. 

She greeted them with a smile as she served the customers at the counter. Frodo recognized Kyle and Philip from the restaurant, they seemed to be accompanied by a slightly shorter red haired man around the same age as them. In another corner two other young men and a woman seemed to be in a heated argument, the coffee in one of the men’s cups nearly spilling out over the table in his excitement. 

“I’m telling you Aaron! One does not simply walk into Professor McFundin’s office and ask for an extension on the paper.” 

“You could have atleast tried!” the women stated, loud enough that many nearby turned to her and she sank back in her chair and quieted. “Better than you failing over a simple paper. Now you’ll have to take the class over again.”

“It’s not your business Erin!” the first man replied.

“Dont talk to Erin like that Brent!” the second man hushed.

“I’m perfectly capable of defending myself!” Erin scoffed. 

Frodo was drawn away from their conversation by Bard’s hand on his shoulder, “What would you like Frodo? It’s our treat.”

“Oh... um...” He looked at the flavors, many of which were way beyond the usual chocolate and vanilla. 

“You look like you could use a raspberry sorbet,” a melodic voice encouraged. Frodo glanced up to see the woman smiling at him. “Or perhaps a scoop of lemon ginger?”

“Oh, yes please!” Frodo eagerly took to the idea, and the woman chuckled.

“Very well.” 

Bard paid for the treats and they all ate quietly, Bain and Tilda eagerly shoveling chocolate peanut butter swirl in their mouths, while Sigrid delicately ate a scoop of lemon sorbet. Bard just drank coffee. 

“I need to tell Uncle Bilbo of this place. I think he’d enjoy the lemon ginger!” Frodo eagerly said, wanting to break the curious silence. 

“Sometimes she does odd flavors too. like green tea and honey, or peaches and mint,” Tilda explained. “But I just like the chocolate peanut butter.”

Bain nodded in agreement. 

“Have you and your uncle had much of a chance to explore the area yet?”

Frodo nodded. “A bit here and there, mostly he’s busy with the shop all day. So I just sit upstairs and read or watch TV till lunch time, then either I bring him lunch or we got out for a bit.”

“Is that book what you’ve been reading recently? Was it something you bought from your old place?” Bard pointed at Frodo’s pack, where the book now rested.

“Nah... It’s something I found in the shop while cleaning. Gandalf said I could have it cause I helped out on Bilbo’s first day.”

“That was nice of him.” Bard muttered into his coffee, giving the pack a weary stare. 

“Da! Can Bain and I go check out the jukebox?” Tilda asked. 

“Of course.” Bard reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins. Tilda eagerly snatched them up and she and her brother went running for the box. Sigrid got up and followed, probably not trusting the mischievous look Tilda had moments earlier. 

Bard watched them go while Frodo finished his ice cream.

“Frodo, may I see that book of yours? I thought I saw something...”

Frodo nodded. “Yeah.” He pulled it out of his pack and handed it over, before turning and joining the siblings at the jukebox. Tilda had thought it would have been hilarious to play the same song over and over, and Sigrid was trying to persuade her that it would have been a terrible idea. 

They finally decided on a short selection of songs, and Tilda threw her arms around Frodo in an attempt to dance with him. 

At the counter, the shop lady chuckled again while Kyle abandoned his own ice cream and joined in with the young ones, dancy with wild enthusiasm. His brother was clearly more restrained, hanging out with Sigrid near the side lines. Their companion tapped his foot in rhythm with the beat. Frodo laughed with Tilda as Kyle spun them both round and round. 

“Children!” Bard called. Tilda and Bain stopped dancing, while Sigrid turned herself away from the conversation she was having with Philip. 

“Bilbo just called, he would like it if Frodo were returned to the apartment as soon as possible.” Bard looked nervous and grim, much different from the smiling man just a few hours earlier. In his hand he held Frodo’s pack, which Frodo slipped on. 

They headed out, close enough that they could walk to the shop. Tilda and Frodo raced ahead in the dark, though remaining close enough to not be out of sight from Bard.

Suddenly, Frodo’s world tilted as he was thrown to the side from something, or someone, tackling him to the ground.

“Where is it! Where is it?!” a voice cried in his ear. 

Frodo screamed and he heard Bard come running. He could hear Tilda shouting nearby and he saw her trying to pull whatever it was on top of him off, though she was soon pulled back by her brother. 

“WHERE IS IT?!” the voice cried louder as Frodo attempted to push the thing off, finally getting a good look at it.

The thing was a man, though his head looked much too large for his body, and the body itself was nothing by skin and bones. Sharp elbow dug into his side as the man scrambled for his pack. ‘You stole it, you stole it, Baggins! It’s mine. My precious!” 

“I don’t have anything!” Frodo cried.

“Get off of him!” Bard yelled. 

The man turned and hissed at Bard, then began coughing, a horrible wet sound that sounded like “Gollum, Gollum.” But Bard’s presence was enough of a surprise to the man that Frodo was able to shove him off and scramble away. 

Bard had his gun out in front of him as a warning. “Step away from the boy.”

The strange thin man hissed and coughed again, before trying to lunge at Frodo.

Frodo jumped back. and a single shot rang out, far enough away from Frodo and the man that it was clear Bard wasn’t aiming at them. The man flinched at the sound and darted off into the nearest grouping of trees, disappearing in the dense foliage. 

Frodo glanced at the sound and saw that Bard still had his gun out, though his stance was completely different. His hand with the gun was out in front, while his other was drawn up near the line of his cheekbone. 

Like he was drawing an arrow, Frodo thought. Then he felt his eyes burn and tears run down his cheeks, just now feeling the intense fright he had when the man was on top of him. 

Bard was at his side immediately, hugging him. 

“It’s alright. We’ll get you home to your uncle.”

Frodo nodded, sniffling. Bard held his hand the rest of the way home, Tilda holding Bard’s other hand. Sigrid walked beside Frodo’s other side, and Bain walked in front, a barrier of Bardlings to protect Frodo from the dangerous surprises the night had to offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names:
> 
> Sigrid, Bain and Tilda - Originally, I did change their names, but just as Bard is Bard, I decided to leave the Bardling’s names alone. 
> 
> Helena Whitte - Hilda of Laketown. Yeah I know: Who?! In the Battle of the Five Armies, there was the one woman from Laketown who encouraged the women to fight. Her name was Hilda Bianca, and she was just too cool to not be the deputy. Especially after I saw the extended edition of the Desolation of Smaug and she drops a flowerpot on one of the guards.
> 
> Linn Hart - Lindir. I literally separated the syllabils in Lindir’s name. Linn, and then Hart is another name for stag... which is a male deer. So Lindir=Lin Deer= Linn Hart. Ha! I’m hilarious. 
> 
> Lennox Alberich - Legolas. Lennox means living among (elm) trees. So... it fits? The meaning behind his lastname will come when we meet his dear old dad. (mostly because I have to find my notes for why I chose that name....) 
> 
> Note on the very very very brief Lindir/Bard pairing: This pairing will not become a thing, I just wanted to hint at it because I fell in love with this series by alkjira which I encourage everyone to read, because it’s just so cute: http://archiveofourown.org/series/193811
> 
> The other names mentioned in here do have Hobbit/Lord of the Rings counterparts, but they were brief cameos. Would you like to guess who they were, hmm? 
> 
> I hope you are enjoying the fic! The trouble Thorn got himself into will be revealed in the next chapter!


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